14 Photos
Mariners Autumn Wilson, left, and Paige Garvin celebrate a goal. RON ESPOSITO
Southampton senior Autumn Wilson sends in a shot. RON ESPOSITO
Southampton junior Paige Garvin. RON ESPOSITO
Southampton's Seraphia May tries to avoid a Copiague player. RON ESPOSITO
Southampton's Kiley Maloney looks over the Copiague defense. RON ESPOSITO
Southampton's Victoria Bennett makes a move toward the goal. RON ESPOSITO
Southampton's Autumn Wilson races the ball downfield. RON ESPOSITO
Mariner Autumn Wilson RON ESPOSITO
Southampton's Juliette Archer shoots. RON ESPOSITO
Mariner Kiley Maloney throws a shot on goal. RON ESPOSITO
Southampton's Juliette Archer RON ESPOSITO
Mariner Kiley Maloney looks to make a move around a Copiague player. RON ESPOSITO
Southampton junior Paige Garvin shoots through traffic. RON ESPOSITO
Victoria Bennett takes a free position shot for Southampton. RON ESPOSITO
The Southampton girls lacrosse team won its first game in 16 years — and in dominating fashion — with a 15-1 decision over Copiague in what was a nonleague home game for the Mariners on May 4.
The Mariners returned to the varsity ranks — they hadn’t played a varsity game since 2008 prior to this season — and it has not been kind to them. They’ve lost the majority of their games by wide margins, which head coach Chelsea Reimer expected going into the season.
Going through the struggle of having to navigate what is an extremely competitive sport on Long Island with a largely inexperienced team only made last week’s victory over Copiague that much sweeter, though. The victory was the program’s first since May 17, 2006, when it defeated Stony Brook, 19-11. That 2006 season marked the first time in its five-year existence that it hadn’t made the playoffs and started a run on winless seasons that ultimately led to the program going to a junior varsity team only after 2008, prior to this season.
Autumn Wilson, one of the team’s four seniors, led Southampton in the victory with six points, four goals and two assists, while fellow seniors Victoria Bennett and Isabelle Palumbo and junior Hailey Cameron each added two goals apiece.
Southampton lost its next game, 21-11, to Mattituck/Southold/Greenport on the North Fork on Saturday, but junior Juliette Archer scored a game-high eight goals for the Mariners.
“It took my girls most of the season to adapt to the varsity level of play,” Reimer said. “They really just needed one win to boost their confidence, so that mentally they are able to realize that they can hang with these varsity girls. Most of the girls on my team are great soccer players/field hockey players, so they are athletic and have the tenacity, they just needed to work on their stick skills, transition work and being able to hold onto the ball on offense while being pressured. For next season, my girls just need to really keep sticks in their hands in the offseason.”
To help her players, Reimer said that she’ll be working with a company called ULax to set up a summer league for girls on the East End. The plan is for that to take place Thursday nights during the summer on the Southampton High School turf.
“[It] will really help my girls level up!” Reimer said. “I am greatly looking forward to seeing how we can improve as a team next season!”
Southampton hosted Hampton Bays on Tuesday and will play its season finale at home this Thursday, May 12, at 5 p.m. against Port Jefferson. In that final game, the Mariners will be partnering with the Shinnecock Nation for an on-the-field ceremony prior to the game.
