Hey everyone, I was down at West Islip this morning to catch a full day of sports (scroll down for N-Zone video at West Islip).
First on tap was the top-seeded Lady Lions against No. 4 West Babylon.
(By the way, the West Islip boys beat Lindenhurst 7-3 a few hours after the girls game in the Class A semis, and were never in danger, as they held a 6-1 lead after three quarters.)
In the girls game, West Islip led 10-5 late in the first half and went into the break up 10-7, but West Babylon went on a 9-2 run to start the second half, capped by Sam Rush's game-high fourth goal at the 6:37 mark.
West Islip scored the next three goals (the last coming with just 31 seconds left) to pull within one at 16-15, but West Babylon won the ensuing faceoff and All-American Shannon Smith weaved in and out of double and triple teams to run out the clock.
For Smith, it was the return to the same field where one month and one day ago she suffered a badly sprained ankle, which caused her to miss West Babylon's last six regular season games. West Bab, which was the top team in Division I when Smith went down, went 4-2 during that stretch, costing them a chance at the top seed in the playoffs. So it is ironic that West Islip eventually snagged that spot and stood in the way of West Babylon's playoff run.
Smith (the New York state leader in goals in a career) was held to just three goals (she averages more than eight per game), and Alyssa Murray scored just once. West Islip's strategy was clearly to keep the ball out of West Babylon's playmakers' hands, but the supporting cast, including Rush (four goals), Jocelyn Dawson and Katie Harrison (three goals apiece) stepped up their games and got the job done.
Rebecca Monteith (four goals, two assists) and Sara Sangiorgio (two goals, four assists) led West Islip (16-2), which ends it season in disappointing fashion, but can take solace in the fact that they made it further than any other West Islip girls lax team in school history.
West Babylon (15-4) will take on the Bay Shore/Northport winner at 8 p.m. on Tuesday at Dowling in what should be an exciting final regardless of the competition.
The West Babylon-Northport game on April 16 (which West Bab won, 14-12) was easily one of the most competitive games of the season with an outstanding collection of talent. Bay Shore defeated West Babylon 19-13 on May 8, but it was during Smith's time out with the ankle injury.
The Class B and C finals are also Tuesday at Dowling, here are the matchups:
B: No. 1 Rocky Point vs. No. 3 Sayville, 3 p.m.
C: No. 1 Shoreham-Wading River vs. No. 3 Mount Sinai, 5:30 p.m.