High hopes for Tuckers girls lacrosse squad this season

It may be difficult for opponents to defend against the Mattituck/Greenport/Southold girls lacrosse team this season.

The Tuckers don’t rely on just one or two goal-scorers, as demonstrated in their 15-12 comeback victory at Walt Whitman in a non-league game on a windy Saturday morning.

Four juniors combined for 13 goals. Olivia Zehil led the way with four, followed by hat-tricks from Gianna Calise, Page Kellershon and Grace Quinn (two assists). Sophomore Reese McKenna and freshman Riley Richert also scored. They accomplished that without junior Claire McKenzie, who missed Saturday’s game due to a prior commitment after she tallied four times in the 11-8 season opening loss to Longwood on March 26.

“I’m super fortunate to have my entire starting attack line,” head coach Logan McGinn said. “None of them are seniors. It’s going to be a headache for a lot of people. I think the girls are buying it and believing that everyone can score. Let’s just be unselfish and look for the great pass, and then you will find success.”

And they found that success Saturday against a Division I team that qualified for the Suffolk County playoffs last year. 

“It’s definitely a big lift off,” Zehil said. “Even though we’re a smaller school, we’re still able to meet anyone — any day and anywhere.”

“It means a lot,” added Calise, who won 62.5 percent of her faceoffs (20-of-32). “I don’t want us to get in our heads, like we are the best of the best, because we have so much to work on. We’re in a good place, ready for the season.”

The Division II season begins with a home game against Rocky Point on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.

Mattituck (1-1), which lost to Babylon in the 2024 Class D final, wants to return there in May and perhaps go beyond.

“We want to be a competitive team and give everyone a hard time,” McGinn said. “We want to be the best team on the field at all times.”

The Tuckers found themselves staring at a 3-0 deficit as Wildcats sophomore Isabella Fiorelli scored two of her game-high six goals. But they weren’t fazed.

“It just was a matter of putting in extra energy and really focusing on it,” said Kellershon, who scored two goals in the opening half. “I wouldn’t say I was worried.”

Added Quinn: “We have so much talent on our team. It wasn’t producing in the first quarter. It might be jitters or something, but we knew we needed to switch the momentum, because we’re so much better than what we were playing.”

After a 6-6 halftime tie, the Tuckers started to pull away in the third quarter. Zehil led the way with three goals, including the go-ahead tally from close range 2:13 into the period. Richert added her first varsity score 31 seconds later and Quinn made it 9-6 at 3:13.

“I’m so proud of her,” Calise said of Richert. “She’s like a little sister to me. I can’t wait to see the great things that she does.”

The defense got into the act as well.

With 1:29 remaining in the third quarter, the Tuckers held a 10-8 lead, as Whitman (0-2) appeared to be ready to make a serious run. That’s when senior defenseman Aly De La Noval intercepted a pass to start a fastbreak up the right flank. Sophomore Sadie Corrigan got the ball and eventually fed Zehil, who beat goalie Addison Duffy 15 seconds later.

“I tried not to think too much,” De La Noval said. “I just read it. I might as well just go for it, now or never.”

Zehil said that “it’s definitely a big momentum booster, especially having those transitions. It’s great. We know when we’re going to be open and who’s best at running it up the field.”

The goal started the Tuckers on a four-tally tear that put the game away. Kellershon closed out the period with 3.8 seconds remaining, before Calise struck twice in the final frame (4:55 and 7:07) for a 14-8 advantage.

After completing his postgame comments to a reporter, McGinn walked toward the team bus. He was surprised as his players serenaded him with a resounding “Happy Birthday.” The players handed out cupcakes to celebrate the coach’s 28th birthday.

“This team is such a special group of kids, and we all have such a great bond,” he said. “I appreciate them more than they know.”