Westhampton Beach Boys Lacrosse Loses First Playoff Game In Five Years At Harborfields - 27 East

Southampton Sports

Westhampton Beach Boys Lacrosse Loses First Playoff Game In Five Years At Harborfields

icon 8 Photos
Aidan Kellachan of Westhampton Beach works with Ian McGullam of Harborfields on his back.

Aidan Kellachan of Westhampton Beach works with Ian McGullam of Harborfields on his back.

Chris Koltzan of Westhampton Beach works the ball on offense.

Chris Koltzan of Westhampton Beach works the ball on offense. DREW BUDD

Hurricane Aidan Kellachan checks Tornado Dylan Wolf.

Hurricane Aidan Kellachan checks Tornado Dylan Wolf. DREW BUDD

Hurricane Jack Moloney drives on Tornado Ian McGullam.

Hurricane Jack Moloney drives on Tornado Ian McGullam. DREW BUDD

Hurricane Chris Koltzan works against Tornado Jaime Lawlor.

Hurricane Chris Koltzan works against Tornado Jaime Lawlor. DREW BUDD

Westhampton Beach goalie Conor Farnan looks for an open player to pass to.

Westhampton Beach goalie Conor Farnan looks for an open player to pass to. DREW BUDD

Jack Moloney of Westhampton Beach collides with Harborfields goalie Ward Tucker.

Jack Moloney of Westhampton Beach collides with Harborfields goalie Ward Tucker. DREW BUDD

Jack Moloney of Westhampton Beach works against the Harborfields defense.

Jack Moloney of Westhampton Beach works against the Harborfields defense. DREW BUDD

Drew Budd on Jun 10, 2021

The Westhampton Beach boys lacrosse team had a penchant for playing close games this season, particularly against strong opponents. In what was a 14-game season that was basically played over a month, the Hurricanes played five games that were decided by two goals or less, and they happened to be 3-2 in those contests.

With not much in terms of ability separating the seven teams that qualified for the Suffolk County Class B playoffs, Westhampton Beach knew it was going to have to put that experience in close games to good use starting Wednesday, June 9, when the fifth-seeded Hurricanes played at fourth-seeded Harborfields.

While the ’Canes — playing in their first playoff game since 2016 — may have lost, 13-7, to the Tornadoes, the final score was not an indication of how close the two teams were for much of the game. Having not trailed by any more than three goals at any point of the game, Jack Moloney, who finished with a team-high three goals, brought Westhampton Beach within one of Harborfields’ lead at 7-6 with 7:58 remaining in the third quarter.

But that would be as close as the ’Canes would get to overtaking the lead. Harborfields scored six unanswered goals from midway through the third until 2:32 remaining in the game to seal the victory and advance to the county semifinals against top-seeded Comsewogue, which will be played Saturday.

“Coming into this game today we challenged our team, challenged our seniors, and said if we play as hard as we can, if we leave everything that we have on the field, then that’s all we can ask of you guys as players,” Westhampton Beach head coach Drew Peters said after the game. “And I really commend our players for doing that. Obviously, not easy to say right now coming off that loss, but we came out and we battled.”

Peters remarked at how hot it was; with temperatures above 90 degrees, the game was played under a modified heat alert, which required water breaks after each six minutes of play, and which led to a somewhat longer game than usual.

But the heat was just part of the issues for the ’Canes, Peters said. Having a hard time “getting over the hump,” as he put it, in some of the close games with Mount Sinai, Islip and Bayport-Blue Point, which wound up being a three-goal loss, came down to his team’s overall youth and inexperience, coupled with some key injuries.

“We had some guys coming off from football not being able to get healthy. One of our starting defenders got hurt probably about three weeks ago and he battled to get back and it just couldn’t happen,” Peters explained. “So it was really that next-man-up and I’m proud of the guys that stepped up, that got on the field and played and did their part. We just got to keep getting better.”

While it was something literally every team across the country had to deal with, what can’t be forgotten was the time lost last year with the season being canceled due to COVID, and the trickle down effect it had on each program, Westhampton Beach included. For the ’Canes, many of the sophomores who would have gotten valuable varsity playing experience last year didn’t and instead got it as juniors this year.

“It was phenomenal to get the season in. As phenomenal as it was, it was a very challenging season,” Peters said. “Not just for us but for every team out there. It was game, off, game, off, and a lot of preparation we do in between games was just crammed in. So there was a lot of maintaining and correcting, whereas a lot of things we could add some instruction and implementing and doing a lot of new things. And we did that, it was just really hard to do that, but I'm happy that our guys got a season in.”

Losing the team’s first playoff game in five years should only fuel his team going forward, Peters said.

“It gives a lot of the younger guys, the underclassmen, a little motivation to remember the feeling of today, and the offseason — play in the summer, play in the fall, get better in the winter — and we come back, hopefully with some guys that have a lot of playing experience next year,” he said “We have a lot juniors who will become seniors and we get going again.”

You May Also Like:

Near Perfect Conditions for 14th Annual Over the Bridge Races in Hampton Bays

As has been the case more often than not, clear blue skies and seasonal temperatures ... 17 Sep 2025 by Drew Budd

Penalties, Missed Opportunities Cost Bonac Football in Its Season-Opening Loss at ESM

“Watch the ball!” It was yelled out repeatedly on Saturday afternoon in Manorville, particularly from ... by Drew Budd

Gil Sees Glimpses of Greatness From His Baymen Football Team in Season-Opening Loss to Miller Place

Michael Single was Johnny-on-the-spot, scooping up a loose ball that seemingly went directly into his ... by Drew Budd

Pierson Graduate Lignelli Will Represent U.S. at Nations Cup Equestrian Event in Belgium

The past few months have been a period of change and transition for Alexa Lignelli. ... by Cailin Riley

Venetia Satow and Ava Kenny Win JY-15 Atlantic Coast Championships Hosted by Breakwater Yacht Club

Sag Harbor’s Breakwater Sailing Center & Yacht Club hosted the JY-15 Atlantic Coast Championships this ... by Michael Mella

Bridge Show Is Special Treat for Car Buffs

I’ve been telling people who ask me about the annual car show at The Bridge ... by Stephen J. Kotz

Weekly Roundup: Bridgehampton Boys Soccer, Hampton Bays Boys Volleyball Picks Up First-Ever Victories; East Hampton Girls Soccer On Fire

Bonac Boys Cross Country
Defeats Harborfields The East Hampton boys cross country team defeated Harborfields, 17-38, in its season opener on its home course on school grounds on September 9. According to head coach Kevin Barry, it’s only the second dual meet loss for the Tornadoes in the last five years. The Bonackers swept the top four placements to win the meet outright. Senior Sean Perez, in his first-ever cross country race, won the 2.5-mile race in 13:52, followed closely by senior Liam Knight (13:59) and sophomores Jasper Samuelson (14:09) and Watts Comly-Bolick (14:13). East Hampton Girls Soccer
Stays Undefeated The Bonackers ... by Staff Writer

Mistakes Pile Up in Pierson Boys Soccer’s Defeat to Port Jeff

There’s work to be done. That was the takeaway after the Pierson boys soccer team ... 16 Sep 2025 by Drew Budd

Southampton Girls Soccer Staying the Course, Peaking in October Still the Message

It’s not how you start, but how you finish. It might be the cliché of ... by Drew Budd

'Canes, Ravens Girls Tennis on a Collision Course

Three previously undefeated South Fork high school girls tennis teams went at it this past ... by Jack Graves