Westhampton Girls Lacrosse Falls to Unbeaten Sayville in Class C Semifinal

Kenzie Schindler is proud of her Westhampton Beach girls lacrosse team for never giving up.

Even down, 7-3, to undefeated Sayville to open the fourth quarter of a Class C semifinal matchup on Saturday, the Hurricanes continued to push and remain positive, though eventually falling to the No. 1 Golden Flashes, 11-4.

“While I think we didn’t play to our fullest potential, we played from the first whistle to last whistle, and it makes me proud to say we never gave up,” the senior said. “It has been an unforgettable feeling to be a part of this team’s success over the years, and this team gave me experiences not a lot of people get to have. This team gave me the opportunity to play in county, Long Island and state championship games, and for that opportunity I am so grateful.”

Multiple turnovers and difficulty winning the draws, especially in the second half, made it hard for the Hurricanes to dig themselves out of the hole.

Sayville (17-0) scored the game-opener just over a minute into the contest, but junior goalie Maya Farnan made one of her six saves and intercepted a Sayville pass to give the team the boost it needed heading into junior midfielder Reese King’s equalizer with 21.7 seconds left. Unfortunately, a draw win and a couple of quick passes helped the Golden Flashes to a goal with 8.7 seconds on the clock for an advantage heading into the second quarter.

“I think that us being down the whole game gave us more motivation to come back and fight for what we wanted,” senior defender Gabby Wendel said. “Every time they scored a goal, we came together and gave a positive remark about how we got the next one and it was our turn to answer back.”

Sayville went up, 4-1, though, before King scored off a feed from sophomore attack Ava Derby, spinning around to place the ball in on an open right side to cut the deficit in half. Again, as was the case for most of the contest, Sayville won the ensuing draw and made the possession count with a goal just 30 seconds later.

“We just weren’t connecting on both sides of the field today,” senior attack Peyton Worby said. “We know what we are capable of, so we’re upset with the outcome. We didn’t play how we wanted to.”

Junior attack Meaghan Tufano scored the last goal of the first half, and the Hurricanes (11-7) were held scoreless until Worby put in a pass from King with two minutes left to play to make it 10-4.

“I think we did what we needed to do and adjusted what we needed to adjust, it’s just the draw just kind of got away from us and their goalie made a couple of big saves,” head coach Mary Bergmann said. “We switched to three different defenses and held them to two goals in the second half for a long time — until we had to start going out and pressuring. We gave our best effort, and if we’re going to lose to anyone, I’d like to lose to an undefeated team.”

For the head coach, the group of nine seniors is a special one, as many had been on the team for the program’s first Suffolk County and Long Island Championship wins as sophomores, eventually making it to the state semifinals that season.

“We are where we are because of this group of seniors, and they haven’t even reached their peak,” she said of the girls, more than half of whom will be playing at the collegiate level. “When my parents were really sick and passed away two years ago, this entire team was there for me, so this senior group is special. I think this senior class set the tone for us to continue to be competitive.”

The upperclassmen said they’re honored to have had so many doors open for them across their high school careers.

“Being a part of this team brought me so many memories that will last a lifetime. I know I will be telling stories for years to come,” senior defender Chloe Mosher said. “Before each season, we’ve been overlooked and underrated, and every year we have new girls joining the team that are motivated to get to that spot again.”

Wendel said from winning championships to losing playoff games, it was all a learning experience.

“It taught me to really cherish every success and to be grateful for having made it as far as we did no matter the outcome,” she said.

Worby said she too has grown over the course of her time as a Hurricane.

“I’ve learned to take constructive criticism, to improve my game and not dwell on mistakes,” the senior said. “This will allow me to stay positive in college and grow as a person and athlete. I love the bond I’ve made with the girls, and it’s been so special being able to make history with them. I love that I was able to represent Westhampton and inspire future players.”

Bergmann said her senior group has done just that for the 14 returners.

“The girls that are coming back next year already said this is not happening again,” the coach said.

Schindler, whose younger sister, Reagan, a freshman, is one of them, said she’s learned about teamwork, leadership and the importance of friendship.

“I am proud to call myself a Hurricane,” Schindler said. “This team has shown me what’s it’s like to succeed, and also fail, but most importantly, it has given me my second family. I call these girls my sisters, and I am so lucky and fortunate to have created such real and loving forever friendships. Westhampton Beach holds a special place in my heart, and I will forever have pride in calling it my home. I’ve also learned that I need to cherish every moment, because time goes fast and before you know it, it’s over.”