Ward Melville girls lacrosse Class A Final preview: I was wrong

I was wrong.

I’ll say it again: I, Laura Albanese, being of sound mind and disposing memory and not acting under duress or undue influence, admit that I was wrong.

But you know what that means, dont'cha? The Patriots are going to the Suffolk county final. And who better to meet them than seemingly perpetual rival Bay Shore?

(By the way, Ward Melville did beat Bay Shore earlier this year.)

And now that they’ve had their say, here’s mine. The most telling thing about Ward Melville came from the opposing bench on Wednesday. With a Northport player stationed behind the Patriot cage, the defense slid in front of two open girls before the play could ever materialize. The reaction from a coach: “Ugh. They’re So. Smart.” I saw that the first time I watched the Patriots this year, too – when they played an overly aggressive Bay Shore perfectly. The Marauders became their own worst enemy then, drawing one yellow after another and being forced to play the majority of the second half two girls down. Ward Melville, conservative and measured, mounted a major comeback.

There’s no telling whether that will work again. Bay Shore has too much talent and is too well-coached to make the same mistakes twice. The final will be a dogfight. Prediction? I got none.