DeBlasio propels BBP to first title

Mike DeBlasio slapped on the championship belt. Aaron Rodgers would be proud.

With the game and Long Island championship firmly in hand, DeBlasio celebrated his fifth goal by putting on the imaginary championship belt popularized by the Packers quarterback during their Super Bowl run. The senior attack deserved it with his performance.

DeBlasio had five goals and three assists, and Bayport-Blue Point's boys lacrosse team, in its eighth year of existence, earned its first Long Island title with a 13-6 win over Cold Spring Harbor Saturday at Stony Brook. The Phantoms will play Bronxville of Section I in the state semifinals at 8 p.m. Wednesday at White Plains High.

After the game, DeBlasio strutted around with some actual hardware, the circular Long Island championship plaque.

"We were just starting to feel it at that point," DeBlasio said of celebrating his goal that made it 13-6 with 8:42 to play. "We have a great crowd. In any sport, our fans are just amazing." He then added, "a lot of people gave us no chance."

The Phantoms (13-5) are championship game novices, but played like wily veterans. Tied at 5 at halftime, they scored three straight out of the chute in the third en route to an 8-1 second-half advantage. Their large lead left plenty of time for hugs, handshakes and putting on the belt.

"We've been a third-quarter team throughout the entire year," DeBlasio said. "It was just great to come out, score a couple goals, and have the whole team step up."

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Brian White had three goals and four assists, Ryan McCoy two goals, and Ralph Fabiani made 11 saves. BBP also won the hustle stats, corralling 40 ground balls to CSH's 29 and killing four of six penalties. "I still to this moment think we were evenly matched, we just had the ball more," BBP coach Mike Luce said. "However, we just had the ball more than they did. Faceoffs, ground balls, if that were swung the other way, the score would be swung the other way."

CSH (13-5) held its only lead of the game when Sean Doyle capped a personal three-goal run with 4:02 left in the first to make it 3-2. "We made some mental mistakes in the first half," Seahawks coach Dennis Bonn said. "But we made a few more in the second half."

Take Phantoms defenseman Frank Gluchowski's goal to cap the third-quarter surge. He made his move in the offensive zone basically untouched, then had a slam-dunk style shot.

The goal made it 11-6 -- nearly championship belt time.

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"This is what you dream about when you're young and you're playing with your boys in the backyard," DeBlasio said. "Honestly, I'm speechless right now."