Northport girls persevered through it all

As thunder rumbled and rain poured down, causing the second delay of the game, the Northport Tigers entered their locker room trailing by two goals with 8:17 left to play in the state Class A girls lacrosse championship June 11. During the 1-hour, 29-minute hiatus, the Northport coaching staff broke down tape of the first 42 minutes and showed the Tigers how poorly they were playing.

"We showed all the mistakes. We showed them everything," Northport coach Carol Rose said. "You don't want your senior year to go out like that. They stepped on the field with a whole new sense of purpose."

Three-time All-American Shannon Gilroy put her team on her back, scoring the tying goal with 58.2 seconds left in regulation, then the go-ahead goal 25 seconds into the first overtime period. Gilroy lay on the turf of SUNY-Cortland's Red Field in tears, having torn her left ACL as she scored her fourth goal of the game to give Northport its first lead in more than 42 minutes.

"She sacrificed her body for this team," Rose said. "She made a sick play, went down and scored and sparked our entire team."

Northport fans and players chanted her name as medical personnel tended to her injury. They watched in silence as "The Franchise" was carried off the field. Rose broke the silence as she yelled: "Let's win it for her. Come on!"

Winning and playing for teammates was the theme of Northport's historic postseason run:

Gilroy played the Suffolk final and Long Island championship with a brace on her right ankle after she suffered a Grade 1 sprain less than a week earlier.

SEE PHOTOSClass A state semi: Northport 18, Lakeland/Panas 5

Mary Pat Theofield sprained the right LCL in her knee in the Suffolk final and wanted to stay on the field before coaches called her to the sideline.

Midfielder Erin Magnuson was suspended for two games for receiving a red card in the county final. The Tigers adopted the motto "Free Mags" in her absence and wrote her No. 17 in eye black on their faces, on ribbons in their hair and on wrist bands. Magnuson returned in the state final and scored a goal with 15 seconds left in the first half to tie the score.

Sophomore Cortney Fortunato scored a career-high nine goals in the Tigers' 18-5 state semifinal rout of Cortlandt Manor Panas. Coaches and teammates were pulling for her to break the school record of 10 goals in a game, a record she undoubtedly will shoot for next year.

Goalie Michaela Aymong went on a tear in the postseason, including a season-high 11 saves in the state semifinal.

SEE PHOTOSClass A final: Northport 14, Farmingdale 7

Tournament MVP Megan Marinelli had a goal and assist in both the state semifinal and final while matching up against the top opposing attacks defensively.

Fortunato scored the biggest goal of her young career on a free position with 1.3 seconds left in the second overtime to give Northport (20-2) its first state title.

Fortunato and Gilroy are also teammates on the under-19 national team and wear each other's numbers on their arms during games. After the win, Fortunato spoke about how important it was to finish what Gilroy started.

"Shannon would give anything to be on the field at any moment. She would throw her body in front of a shot," Fortunato said. "We knew when she went down, we had to do it for her."