Extras: Stephanie Peragallo

Here are some of the extras from the interview with Hauppauge’s All-American defender Stephanie Peragallo.

Being ranked as the No. 2 defender in the country by ESPN Rise: “It means that a lot of people aware of what I can do. But for everyone in those rankings, it also means you have to keep working hard to make sure people know why you were ranked that.”

Peragallo also plays for the basketball team, which reached the Suffolk Class A final. Her last-second steal of an inbounds pass secured the win for Hauppauge in the semifinals. How does defense in lacrosse compare to basketball: “It's harder than in basketball. In basketball, all you have to do is keep the person in front of you, but in lacrosse, the offensive player has more options. In basketball, they're dribbling, so you’ll have opportunities to try to steal it or deflect it.”

How does being the defending Suffolk Class B champ factor into this season? “It means people are going to want to take us down. Being a champion puts a target on your back and other teams will try to ruin what we have. We’ll have to work hard to maintain that level and do it again.”

In contrast, the basketball team didn’t have such lofty expectations: “We were never considered a great team coming into the season. This was the first time we'd gotten that far in so long. In lacrosse, besides eighth grade, we've been a good team. Instead of being the underdog, you're the team that can't let an underdog beat you.”

Favorite sport: “Lacrosse is a great sport and all my friends play it – we've been playing since we were little. But I've grown up with soccer, so I'll never say I don't love it.”

How many AP classes have you taken? “I take about three a year.”

(Random question, right? It’s actually the second time I’ve asked that out of nowhere in an interview. And it’s not a “Do you…” but a “How many…” inquiry, because after interviewing someone a few times, you can kind of tell. And I’ve guessed right on both. Abby Beltrani, the former Ward Melville field hockey star, got it back in 2010. Abby’s answer was also three. And this tangent just served as a 2-in-1: explanation of an odd question and a gratuitous field hockey shout-out.)

Favorite subject: English.

(Correct answer. I’ll omit what Peragallo said was her least favorite subject, but it was also the correct answer.)

Going to Notre Dame: “I committed on February 20 [in 2011]. Going to a school for soccer would’ve been easier for me, but I visited Notre Dame and it was the perfect school for me. It means a lot to me because I had to work hard to get better and compete with the girls who have been playing [lacrosse] more.”

Training: “The team has been doing a lot of training in the offseason. Last summer I played a lot of lacrosse. This year I played school soccer and basketball, so it kept me in shape. Being in shape and watching the game a lot helps. I watch other defenders, looking for body positioning, how they handle calls, and how they adapt their game to fit different situations.”