Alexa Spallina's late goal helps put No. 6 Mount Sinai into Suffolk Class C girls lacrosse final

Alexa Spallina was exactly where she needed to be.

The sophomore attack lined up for a free-position shot with the score tied at 8 in the closing minutes. She knew this was the opportunity to propel Mount Sinai from the six-seed in a six-team playoff to an appearance in the county final. And she wasn’t going to miss.

Spallina fired a free-position goal to the bottom-right corner of the cage to put her team ahead for good in Mount Sinai’s 10-9 victory over host Sayville in the girls lacrosse Suffolk Class C semifinals on Saturday afternoon. Her goal gave the Mustangs a 9-8 lead with 2:32 left.

“The goalie thought I was shooting high,” Spallina said. “The last time we played them I shot high and this time, I shot low. I was just able to play the ball and make the adjustment . . . We want to shock everyone and just prove everybody wrong.”

“Alexa is unbelievable,” Mount Sinai coach Shayna Pirreca said. “I knew the second she got put on the free position that she was taking it and she was going to score. Not a doubt in my mind. We were so proud of her because that’s a lot of pressure.”

It was Mount Sinai’s second straight upset in the postseason after knocking off No. 3 Westhampton, 7-6, in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. The Mustangs (11-5) will attempt to muster up one more upset against top-seeded Bayport-Blue Point (16-0) in the Suffolk Class C final at Stony Brook University May 31 at 8 p.m.

“It’s been a roller coaster,” said Peyton Choma, who scored two goals. “People counted us out and our phrase is ‘Buy in’ and that’s what we did. We bought into this game and there was nothing holding us back. We wanted this more than anything.”

Lea Flobeck added an empty-net goal with 54.3 seconds left to make it 10-8 Mount Sinai. Kelsey Restivo scored her third goal for Sayville with 13.6 seconds left but the Mustangs won the ensuing draw control and held on for the victory.

“The entire game I was just screaming with excitement,” Spallina said. “I love this group, I think this is a special group.”

Spallina had three goals and four assists with her playmaking setting up herself and others in the game’s most pivotal moments.

“I think that’s what makes her such a great player is she always rises to the occasion,” Pirreca said. “She never backs down from pressure and she’s so smart. I think the best thing about Alexa is she’s always looking to feed, always looking to help everyone else on the team, which makes us all better in return.”

Flobeck had two goals and two assists and Taylor Cline added two goals in the win.

Sayville finished 14-3.

“A lot of people didn’t think that we were going to make it to where we are right now,” Choma said. “I think it’s an eye-opener for a lot of people.”

The opportunity to play for a county title this year specifically means even more for Spallina with the game being played at Stony Brook. Her father, Joe Spallina, has been the Stony Brook women’s lacrosse coach since 2012 and Alexa has spent countless hours on that field.

“It means so much to me,” Spallina said. “I grew up on that field and being able to win a county championship with my best friends, that would be so exciting.”