Caroline DeBellis, Isabelle Vitale lift Seahawks to Class C semifinal win
Cold Spring Harbor players celebrate their win against Honeoye Falls-Lima after a Class C semifinal at the NYSPHSAA Girls Lacrosse Championships in Cortland, N.Y. on Friday. Credit: Adrian Kraus
CORTLAND, N.Y. — On the bottom of the back of Cold Spring Harbor’s navy warm-up shirts read the words “Never Settle.” It means to not be satisfied with just one state girls lacrosse championship — which the program won last spring — but on Friday, it meant to never settle for enough goals.
The Seahawks blitzed Honeoye Falls-Lima in a state Class C semifinal at SUNY Cortland, ripping off 12 straight goals to close the first half and cruising to a 15-5 win. Caroline DeBellis had five goals and two assists, and Isabelle Vitale had four goals and three assists. Niki Mormile added a goal and three assists.
Cold Spring Harbor plays John Jay (Cross River) at 4:30 p.m. Saturday in the state Class C championship game.
“For us, it’s like we came here last year with a really strong senior group, but we didn’t want to just think we won the state championship last year and that’s all we ever needed,” said senior defender Sophia Taglich. “We knew we had a strong group coming back this year, and we wanted to prove to everyone that it wasn’t a one-time thing.”
Having trounced HFL in last year’s championship game 18-3, Cold Spring Harbor (17-2) was familiar with its opponent. In true Seahawks fashion, they got on an offensive roll that HFL (8-12) simply couldn’t stop.
DeBellis and Vitale each scored four times during the 12-0 run as goals poured in one after the other, many in transition or directly off the draw. DeBellis, Grace Tauckus and Grace Hudson each scored in a span of 25 seconds, turning a 6-1 game into a 9-1 game in the blink of an eye.
“When we get in a groove, I know we’re going to go,” Taglich said. “People get hot really quickly on this team. Isabelle Vitale is just fiery. Grace Tauckus is electric on the draw with Niki Mormile. Caroline DeBellis is just a calming force on our team.”
Vitale fed freshman Ava Tighe for a 15-2 lead late in the second half, representing the Seahawks' largest lead. Vitale, a senior, has taken her play to the next level after 10 goals and seven assists last spring. She’s up to 57 goals and 53 assists this year, ranking fourth in Nassau with 110 points.
“I just try to do whatever I can for my team,” Vitale said. “I know our goal was to get here, and just the fact that we are here again is crazy. Me playing well helps my team, so that’s what I try to do.”
Vitale didn’t settle. She wanted more … for herself and for the Seahawks.
