Cold Spring Harbor outlasts Locust Valley to win Nassau Class D girls lacrosse final

In what turned out to be a game of runs, Cold Spring Harbor’s final spurt proved to be unmatched.

Cold Spring Harbor scored six of the final eight goals as the top-seeded Seahawks defeated No. 2 Locust Valley, 10-7, in the Nassau Class D girls lacrosse final at Bethpage High School on Wednesday.

Cold Spring Harbor (5-9) plays Center Moriches (11-5) in the Long Island Class D championship at Bethpage High School at 4 p.m. Saturday.

Anna Spehr had three goals and an assist and Hannah Van Son had three goals to lead Cold Spring Harbor. Julia Sobel added four assists and Hannah Gumersell had two goals.

"We knew any team we play, any team from around here is going to bring a good game, but we definitely weren't playing the best we could have been playing," said Spehr, whose team trailed 5-4 at the half. "But we were able to turn it around in the second half."

The Seahawks, the 2018 and 2019 state Class C champions before dropping to Class D, entered as the top seed after playing in Conference I against a who's who of top lacrosse programs in the region.

But Locust Valley proved ready when challenged with a Conference I opponent after playing in Conference II. After Cold Spring Harbor took a 3-0 lead less than four minutes into the game, Locust Valley scored five of the game’s next six goals, capped by an Elizabeth Gresalfi goal with 1:33 remaining in the first half to take a 5-4 advantage.

Payton Tini had three goals and two assists, Gresalfi had two goals and an assist and Jamie Chasanoff had two goals for Locust Valley (7-7).

Van Son scored off a free position for the first goal of the second half to tie it at 5 for Cold Spring Harbor with 21:33 remaining.

Franny Donohue’s score gave Cold Spring Harbor the lead three minutes later after a long run up the field and to the goal. Van Son struck again, this time off an assist from Sobel, to give Cold Spring Harbor a 7-5 lead with 13:51 remaining in the second half.

"We know the furthest we could go is LICs and that's our goal," Sobel said. "We want to put everything together and win it once again and this was just one more step."

Maya Soskin, an eighth-grader, had 15 saves in the win for the Seahawks.

"She's been impressive all season long, said CSH coach Danielle Castellane. "She doesn't play like an eighth grader. I know everyone loves to put that label on her, but she plays like she's a member of the varsity team, like she should, which is why she's here"