Manhasset girls lacrosse, Harper Lambert turn trust into victories
Harper Lambert of Manhasset carries the ball during the first half of a Nassau girls lacrosse game against Cold Spring Harbor on Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Manhasset. Credit: Kelvin Loarca
For the Manhasset girls lacrosse team, it’s all about trust.
It’s what they encourage one another to do on the field, it’s the slogan they wear on the back of their warmups, it’s the value they emphasize every game day.
It’s what has made them so successful this season, remaining undefeated after securing an 18-8 home win over reigning state Class D champion Cold Spring Harbor in Nassau I on Saturday morning. Harper Lambert led Manhasset with five goals.
“Everyone had to step up in their role, trust each other and fight today,” Lambert said. “We had really great defense, great draw controls and we really worked hard to find a way.”
After finishing the first quarter with a 4-3 lead, Manhasset (4-0) started to pull away. A stifling defensive line allowed no more than two goals per quarter and goalkeeper Ruby Cacioppo made nine saves on the day.
“She knows she’s good and it’s just showing,” coach Tom Campolettano said of Cacioppo. “She’s rising to the occasion every time and she’s been playing lights out in practice and in games.”
Half of Manhasset's goals were assisted, something Lambert attributes to her team’s ball movement and communication. Elim Yang, Grayson Denihan, Danielle Perfetto and Katie Murphy each had two assists.
“It sounds repetitive, but all of our offensive movement comes back to trusting each other,” Lambert said. “It’s never about one person dodging, one person scoring a goal. It’s a team effort and we can never get complacent with our movement.”
And anything is possible when getting possession looks so easy. Manhasset dominated on the draw circle, beating out the Seahawks 20-9. Taylor Gordon led the way with 11 draw controls.
Ainsley Dircks and Olivia Mulada each contributed two goals and an assist for Cold Spring Harbor, which fell to 3-1.
Campolettano emphasized trust playing a vital role in his team’s success, not only on Saturday, but for the remainder of the season.
“It stems from hard work,” Campolettano said. “We wear ‘trust’ on the back of our jerseys and we live by that. They trust one another to get the job done.”
Tess Ferguson is a reporter on Newsday's high school sports staff. She joined the team after graduating with a journalism degree from Ithaca College in 2025.
