Lexi Reinhardt of Ward Melville.

Lexi Reinhardt of Ward Melville. Credit: Joseph D. Sullivan

Newsday’s Kenny DeJohn recaps a busy week of Long Island girls lacrosse, starting with a Suffolk power and finishing with a few notables from the third week of April.

Speedy Ward Melville off to fast start

There’s a team on the north shore of Long Island with plenty of speed in all phases of the game, and it’s yielded exceptional results in the first half of the season.

Ward Melville is quick, talented, experienced and off to a 7-0 start after beating Suffolk I rival West Islip, 8-7, thanks to Lexi Reinhardt’s winner with 39 seconds remaining on Thursday. The surprise of Suffolk last season because of its unblemished regular-season record, the Patriots are picking up right where they left off.

Northport pumped the brakes on the Patriots in last season’s county semifinal, and that 8-7 loss has Ward Melville looking for more.

“It’s not something we’re talking about every day, but it’s certainly in the back of our mind,” coach Kerri Kilkenny said. “We have to take every team at that same level of intensity that we’re going to play Northport each time, and West Islip, and the Smithtowns. We have a bad taste in our mouths, as we have the past few years, but it’s something we can’t focus our entire season on.”

Kilkenny raved about the depth of her midfield and said she can fill out two competent lines at the position. Shannon Berry, Shannon Brazier, Courtney Carrolo and Reinhardt have played well so far.

Speed on attack, specifically Kate Mulham, has helped offensively but also on the ride. Shannon Coughlan and Sydney Golini have anchored the defense in front of goalkeeper Samantha Tarpey, a returning starter.

“Ultimately, we want to get off the Island and go all the way,” Kilkenny said. “I have a core of field hockey kids that did it this year in the fall, and they’re seniors, and they’re hungry and feisty and they want nothing more than to be able to get two rings their senior year.”

The Patriots won a state Class A championship in field hockey in November, and Kilkenny’s group, should they overcome their Suffolk counterparts and Nassau’s top Class A team, could win another state title in June.

Notable wins

• Long Beach has been up and down this season, but one of the Marines’ high points came last Saturday in an 11-5 win over Syosset. Lexie Correia, who played well in last year’s playoff run, had four goals.

• Mount Sinai coach Al Bertolone earned his 100th win in six seasons with the Mustangs on Sunday in a 14-7 decision over Syracuse’s Christian Brother’s Academy. Camryn Harloff, a Stony Brook commit, had five goals and three assists.

• Middle Country won another close game, earning an 8-7 victory over Smithtown East on Thursday thanks to Jennifer Barry’s winner with nine seconds remaining.

• Kings Park needed three overtimes on Wednesday to best Port Jefferson, 7-6. Zoe Dougherty scored off an assist from Kiara Feibusch for the winner. Katelynn Johnston had sent the game to overtime for Port Jefferson on a goal with 4:29 left in regulation.

• Garden City’s Emily Gaven made 17 saves in a 10-7 win over St. Anthony’s on Wednesday, keeping the diverse Friars offense in check. Jenn Medjid had three goals and an assist for the Trojans.

• In a much-anticipated matchup of Suffolk Class C contenders, Bayport-Blue Point upset previously unbeaten Mount Sinai, 8-7, on Friday. The Phantoms scored the first six goals of the game and hung on to win behind Cassidy Weeks’ two goals.

• Ashley Gendels and Kayla Conway can share credit for Wantagh’s 8-7 non-league win over Sacred Heart on Friday. Gendels caused a turnover with 14 seconds remaining and passed up the field to Conway, who netted her fifth goal with five seconds left for the win.

• Harborfields and Hauppauge played four overtimes on Friday before Layla Morris scored the winner with 50 seconds left, sending the Tornadoes home with a 6-5 win. Hallie Simkins tied the score at 5 with 6:55 left in regulation for Harborfields.

Standout performers

• Corinne Badeer is averaging more than six goals per game for Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK, with a total of 49 in eight games. She scored 19 goals in a 2-1 week for the Hawks.

• Kerrin Heuser’s eighth goal of the game with 8:22 remaining gave Hicksville a 15-14 win over East Meadow on Monday. She has two eight-goal games this year and has found the back of the net 44 times in 10 games.

• Long Island Lutheran’s Natalie Feretti scored on a free position to give the Crusaders a 14-13 win over Horace Mann on Monday. The senior midfielder had eight goals and an assist.

Newsday’s Top 10

1. Mount Sinai (Last week: 1)

2. Garden City (3)

3. St. Anthony’s (2)

4. West Babylon (5)

5. Eastport-South Manor (7)

6. Bayport-Blue Point (9)

7. Cold Spring Harbor (6)

8. Northport (8)

9. Ward Melville (10)

10. Syosset (4)

On the cusp (alphabetical order): Long Beach, Manhasset, Massapequa, Mattituck/Southold, Sacred Heart, Shoreham-Wading River, West Islip, Westhampton

Next week’s games to watch

• Monday, April 23 — Westhampton at West Babylon, 4 p.m.

• Monday, April 23 — St. Anthony’s at Sacred Heart, 4:45 p.m.

• Tuesday, April 24 — Cold Spring Harbor at Massapequa, 4:30 p.m.

• Tuesday, April 24 — Northport at Ward Melville, 4:30 p.m.

• Friday, April 27 — Wantagh at West Babylon, 4:30 p.m.

• Saturday, April 28 — Westhampton at Bayport-Blue Point, noon

Will Grayson Meak faceoff against Devin Downes in counties? Meanwhile North Babylon’s Jasmine McKay hoops it up and there's history on the mat in Nassau County in Episode 2 of "Sarra Sounds Off."  Credit: Mario Gonzalez

 SARRA SOUNDS OFF: Wrestling, North Babylon hoops and more! Will Grayson Meak faceoff against Devin Downes in counties? Meanwhile North Babylon's Jasmine McKay hoops it up and there's history on the mat in Nassau County in Episode 2 of "Sarra Sounds Off." 

Will Grayson Meak faceoff against Devin Downes in counties? Meanwhile North Babylon’s Jasmine McKay hoops it up and there's history on the mat in Nassau County in Episode 2 of "Sarra Sounds Off."  Credit: Mario Gonzalez

 SARRA SOUNDS OFF: Wrestling, North Babylon hoops and more! Will Grayson Meak faceoff against Devin Downes in counties? Meanwhile North Babylon's Jasmine McKay hoops it up and there's history on the mat in Nassau County in Episode 2 of "Sarra Sounds Off." 

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