Rix leads Garden City over Manhasset girls

A girls lacrosse game followed the boys' annual Woodstick Classic at Garden City, but a stray rabbit must have thought it was a track meet.

The Trojans turned it into one in the second half.

The little brown hare scampered the length of the football field late in the first half, causing a brief interruption.

After the break, Garden City did its best rabbit imitation, running up and down the field for 11 straight goals en route to a 19-9 Conference I win over visiting Manhasset Saturday.

"That was a nice little thing," Garden City coach Diane Chapman said of the rabbit, which ducked off the field under the protective netting around the track to rousing applause. "It calmed us down a bit."

Added Trojans goalie Kelly Weis, who made nine saves: "It brought us a little bit of luck."

Rather, it appeared the four-time defending state Class B champs' talent took over.

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Mikaela Rix, who led Garden City (10-0) with four goals and three assists, took a feed from Katie D'Antonio and scored just 17 seconds into the second half to give the Trojans a 9-6 lead. Shannon Mangini (three goals) put one home on an assist from D'Antonio 16 seconds later. Alexandra Bruno's turn came 51 seconds after that. D'Antonio popped one in off the ensuing faceoff - seven seconds later.

And so it went for Garden City, which scored nine goals in 5:07 during its 11-0 run against two Manhasset goaltenders.

"We got the draw controls and, once we get it, that's all we need," said Rix, before adding, "We lost to them last year, so we really wanted to crush them."

Indeed, Garden City won 12 of the 16 second-half draws, including the first nine, to garner possession against an Indians team that knocked them off in overtime last season.

Garden City got up and down the field so quickly in the second half, even the referees couldn't keep up. While backpedaling, a referee tripped and fell in front of the Trojans' bench, drawing some giggles from the girls - and the ref. "I'm OK," he said as he dusted himself off and smiled.

Manhasset - well, Halle Majorana, at least - hung with Garden City in the first half. She scored all four of her goals in the first 19:33, including three off free positions.

Her unassisted goal 5:27 before intermission made it Garden City 5, Halle Majorana 4. Teammate Kerri Fleishhacker joined the party with 1:52 left in the half to make it 6-5, the closest the Indians would get the rest of the game.

Majorana went down with a sprained left ankle with 11:37 to play and did not return. But by then, the result already was decided.

"We completely broke down [in the second half]," Manhasset coach Danielle Gallagher said. "A loss is sometimes the best thing, you get a slap in the face and come back to reality."

A reality Garden City, and the rabbit, have yet to face this season.