9 Photos
Bonackers Ava Tintle, left, and Maddie Elflein pressure a Port Jeff player and cause a turnover. DREW BUDD
East Hampton junior Emma McGrory pressures a Port Jefferson player near the sideline at midfield. DREW BUDD
Pierson junior Lily Perello pressures a Port Jefferson player. DREW BUDD
East Hampton sophomore Ava Tintle races the ball out of her team's defensive end. DREW BUDD
Pierson sophomore Greylynn Guyer tries to look for an open teammate to pass to. DREW BUDD
A Port Jefferson player slips into the stick of East Hampton junior Lola Garneau. DREW BUDD
Bonac sophomore Ava Tintle takes on a pair of Port Jeff defenders. DREW BUDD
East Hampton junior Melina Sarlo makes a move on a Port Jeff player. Sarlo scored four goals and had an assist in last week's victory over Port Jeff. DREW BUDD
East Hampton senior Claire McGovern goes to scoop up a ground ball after sophomore teammate Ava Tintle caused the turnover. DREW BUDD
Playing a top-heavy schedule that included matching up against teams that currently have .500 records or better, on top of going through a small rebuild after graduating six players last season and welcoming in a new head coach, the East Hampton/Pierson girls lacrosse team has seemed to turn things around in the second half of its schedule.
That was evident in its 10-8 victory at home over Port Jefferson on May 3, when the Bonackers took a sizable lead in the first half, only to see that lead fall early in the second half, before Bonac came back to take the lead for good late in the game. First-year varsity head coach Joe DiGirolomo said the way his players responded in the second half of the game and to come back after Port Jeff tied it was nice to see.
The Bonacs’ three victories this season (3-9 in Division II, 64.68 power points) have all come within their last five games.
“We had all of our tough games in the beginning of the year. We were still learning who was going to fit with who on the field and in what positions, and I think once we started to get into a roll of who plays where, the results started turning around,” DiGirolomo explained. “We still lost a couple of tough battles in the middle there, but the results were way better in terms of good offense, good defense, a complete lacrosse game — the rides, the clears — everything coming together. And it’s just a testament to the girls working hard every day and listening to what we’re saying.”
After Ava Tintle’s goal put East Hampton up, 6-2, with just over eight minutes remaining in the first half, that’s when Port Jeff started to make its push. Eventually, the Royals tied the game at 7-7 less than four minutes into the second half, but junior Melina Sarlo scored her fourth goal of the game on a free position shot with just over 12 minutes remaining in the game. Then junior Lola Garneau fired in another goal to make it 9-7. Port Jeff rallied to cut the lead back to one with just over seven and a half minutes left, but Tintle, a sophomore, scored again just over a minute later to create the final margin of victory.
Sarlo had an assist to go with her team-leading four goals, Tintle scored three goals and had an assist and junior Emma McGrory secured 10 draw controls. Pierson sophomore Sadie Campsey was credited with three saves in goal for Bonac.
DiGirolomo said his team had lost similar games earlier this year — the season opener, 10-9, at Elwood-John Glenn, and more recently another 10-9 loss at Hauppauge on April 29.
“Today, we finally finished the job and sealed the win,” he said.
East Hampton hosted North Babylon in its home finale on Tuesday before playing its season finale at Deer Park this Friday, May 12, at 4 p.m. Both are winnable games, DiGirolomo said, which would be nice to do going into next season. Losing only four seniors — Sarah Beran, Maddie Elflein, Scout Lynch and Claire McGovern — to graduation this year, the Bonackers will very much have its core intact next season with the bulk of the team made up currently of juniors and sophomores.
DiGirolomo has really enjoyed his first year coaching the varsity team and is looking forward to the future.
“Honestly, the results aren’t there in terms of the win/loss record, but I tell the girls every day, it’s a great group that makes us want to come back and work with them,” he said. “I’ve had a lot of these girls on JV, so I’ve known them, I’ve grown with them and it’s a pleasure to see their development and to put it together and get some wins here at the varsity level. It’s a lot of fun.”
