Sayville: Don't sleep on the sleeper

Shhhh… Be very, very quiet. Sayville is hunting a championship.

The Golden Flashes haven’t been flashy and have flown under the radar somewhat, but they quietly have had an excellent season to this point. And that’s exactly how they want it.

“One team, one goal, one family,” senior Olivia Russell said, explaining the inscription on the back of the team’s warmup shirts. “It means that we’re in this together and for each other. We’re all about us and we’re not going to get distracted or let anything get in the way of our goals.”

That mindset has served them well, as Sayville improved to 9-2 overall with Friday’s 14-3 win over Harborfields. The Golden Flashes are a game behind Eastport-South Manor in the Suffolk Division II standings and only a single integer separates them in the power points, with ESM up 154.5 to 153.5. The Sharks topped Sayville, 7-6, in overtime two weeks ago, earning the slight edge.

And there is, of course, a strong possibility the rivals will have a rematch of last year’s Suffolk Class B final, which ESM won.

“We have something to prove and we want to get back to the county final and have another chance at the championship,” Russell said. “We want to show that we belong there.”

That they have the chance to make it a reality is testament to Sayville’s resiliency. The Golden Flashes graduated several key players last year, including two of their leading scorers (Taylor Mills and Madison Hoon) and the starting goalie (Gianna Minogue). Yet they find themselves with a better record than they had at this point last season.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” said goalie Molly Andrews, who has 96 saves in her first season as a starter. “We’ve worked hard in practice and it’s all coming together towards the end of the season.”

Russell (42 goals) and Julianne Johnston (43 points) are the top scoring threats, while Katie Wandelt and Mackenzie Burns have controlled the midfield, and Kathleen Barry and Sarah Koehler help anchor the defense.

"Our defensive slides have on been on point and our transitions have been good and patient,” Andrews said of the team’s strengths.

All were on display against Harborfields. Russell had four goals and two assists and Julianne Johnston had two goals and four assists. Kelly Marra added four goals and an assist and Andrews made 11 saves, including three on point-blank shots.

“We have really good leadership on this team and it starts with the coaches, [Adam] Sznitken, [Mark] Russell, and also Liv,”Andrews said. “All of us on the team know when to be relaxed and play games and when we need to be serious. And when we have to be, we’re intense and competitive.”