3 Photos
Southampton senior Juliette Archer running down the sideline during Monday's practice against East Hampton. DREW BUDD
Southampton senior Hailey Cameron. DREW BUDD
Ryan Sommers is filling in as head coach of Southampton girls lacrosse for Chelsea Reimer who is out on maternity leave. DREW BUDD
In its first varsity season since 2008 last year, the Southampton girls lacrosse team had its struggles competing in one of the most competitive sports on Long Island, but it did get something out of the way — a victory.
The Mariners defeated Copiague, 15-1, in what was a nonleague game for both teams last May. It was the program’s first varsity victory since May 17, 2006, and with it the girls will be looking to build off that with much of the team returning this season.
They will have to do so, though, with a new coach, Ryan Sommers, who is filling in for Chelsea Reimer, who is out on maternity leave. A teacher in the district for the past three years, Sommers started playing lacrosse in the second grade, eventually played for William Floyd High School and then continued his playing career at Dowling College. When that school closed in 2016, Sommers transferred to Adelphi University, which he graduated from with a bachelor’s degree in physical education in 2018.
Sommers said that the goal is to very much improve upon the team’s one-win season from a year ago, and with nine out of 12 starters returning, it’s a realistic one. That returning core includes senior midfielder Juliette Archer, who scored 21 goals last year and had three assists, senior attack Paige Garvin, who had six goals and six assists, senior midfielder Hailey Cameron, who had 10 goals and an assist, and junior midfielder Ava Guillo, who had a pair of goals last season.
Autumn Wilson, Victoria Bennett and Isabelle Palumbo have all graduated.
As the Mariners continue to build their program, they will have to do so without a junior varsity. They will continue to play in Division II as a Class D school and were ranked last out of 28 teams in the county.
After a pair of scrimmages earlier this week, Southampton opens the season with a nonleague game at Lindenhurst this Friday at 4:30 p.m. and will get its Division II schedule started this Tuesday, March 28, when it hosts East Islip at 4 p.m.
