Lovett, Craig lead Wantagh romp

The Conference B opening-round girls lacrosse playoff game Tuesday between No. 3 Wantagh and No. 14 Bethpage was competitive through the first 12 minutes of play with Wantagh leading by a goal.

From that point, the Warriors pulled away.

A late Wantagh surge at the end of the first half quickly put the game out of reach, as the Warriors scored the final nine goals and advanced to the quarterfinal round with a definitive 18-3 victory at home.

"It was a good way to start off the playoffs," Wantagh coach Bobbi Colavita said. "The girls played well and did the job they had to do."

Colleen Lovett led Wantagh (11-5) with eight points on four goals and four assists, and Kaleigh Craig chipped in with seven points on five goals and two assists. Colavita said both players did more than just score to help the team win.

"[Craig] did a great job on the draw controls which helped us get down on the offensive end and [Lovett] does a great job of getting the ball around in the offensive zone and knows how to get goals whether it's her scoring it or passing it," Colavita said.

Colavita said the game remained tight early because of Bethpage's (9-6) resilience and a strong performance from goalie Brianna Whelan (12 saves).

SEE PHOTOSWantagh 18, Bethpage 3

"Bethpage is very athletic, they never gave up, and their goalie was really very good," Colavita said.

Wantagh will host No. 6 South Side (8-6) Thursday.