James Araneo scores four goals as Ward Melville boys lacrosse tops Huntington

Ward Melville sent a message to the rest of its Suffolk Division I brethren on Wednesday: Until the Patriots are eliminated, they remain the kings in boys lacrosse.

Huntington has cast a long shadow this season after winning its first 10 games. Ward Melville is in no way standing in it after the number it did on the host Blue Devils. The Patriots scored the last five goals of the first quarter and first goal of the second to build their lead to five and then held Huntington at bay for a 9-6 win.

Ward Melville (11-2) won four straight county crowns before everyone lost the 2020 season to the coronavirus pandemic. It looks as if it has a mind to pick up where it left off.

"There’s one more game in the [regular] season and then the playoffs and that’s a long road to go," said Chris Simonton, who scored twice in the run of six unanswered goals that put the Patriots ahead 7-2. "We’re Ward Melville. We’re not going away."

The Patriots' victory was truly an ensemble effort. James Araneo had three of his game-high four goals in building the 7-2 lead and Kevin Dolan, Matthew Rotoli and Tyler Ruffini scored one apiece as the offense came from all over. On defense, goalie Zach Licavoli had seven saves, but the quartet of Brian Edson, Frank Carroll, Andrew Nicholson and John Nicholson used their collective speed in causing the Blue Devils (11-2) to come away with a bunch of empty possessions. As Licavoli said "there’s no better group to have playing in front of you."

"You can't give up six goals in the first quarter against a good team, a program with tradition like Ward Melville," Huntington coach Julian Watts said. "They have big boys up front great team speed on defense and they were really disciplined in the way they played today."

"You look at their scores and they can pile [goals] up," Carroll said. "Holding them to [six] is an accomplishment."

SEE PHOTOSPhotos: Ward Melville vs. Huntington boys lacrosse

"The defense is the most underrated part of the team," Simonton said.

Huntington went up 2-1 with 9:01 left in the first quarter on the first of Liam Hasset’s three goals. Ward Melville then buried the Devils in a barrage of drives at the net as it scored the next five over a span of 7:58.

Huntington has thrived this season with great defense and a ball-control offense that grinds opponents down. However, the Patriots thought the Devils’ methodical and deliberate attack could end up their liability. The style is not perfect for coming from behind.

"That's exactly what we were stressing, do get on top early," Araneo said. "We knew if we got the lead at the beginning, it was our game to lose and not their game to win if that if that sort of makes sense. . . . they tend to score on longer offensive possessions."

The Devils cut the margin to four three times before taking six shots in the final four minutes. Only Robbie Smith's submarine shot from 8 yards out found the back of the net.

John Krisch had a goal and an assist and Anthony Annunziata won 13 of the 19 faceoffs for Huntington, which still could clinch the top seed for the postseason based on power points with a win over Riverhead in the last regular-season game.

"There’s no better lacrosse anywhere than in Suffolk [Division I]," Watts said. "To win this county, a team is really going to have to earn it."

By Roger Rubin

roger.rubin@newsday.com@rogrubin

Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.