Long Beach riding win streak

Showdown for conference title resumes Thursday

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A year after reaching the Nassau Class B girls’ lacrosse quarterfinals, Long Beach seeks its first conference title since 2011 and has aspirations of a deep playoff run.

The Conference II champion was supposed to be decided Tuesday evening at Plainedge, but the Lady Marines and Lady Red Devils were at a 12-12 stalemate at the end of regulation thanks to a last-second goal by Long Beach sophomore Siobhan Rafferty. Darkness forced the game, which began after 6 p.m., to be halted prior to the start of overtime. It has been set to resume Thursday at 5 p.m.

“Of all the games I’ve been a part of as a player, coach or spectator, this one ranks at the top,” Long Beach coach Rachel Ray said. “We’ve developed such a healthy rivalry with Plainedge. It’s always a close and intense game when we play.”

Both teams walked off the field Tuesday night still undefeated (9-0) in conference play. The Lady Marines trailed 11-8 with less than four minutes to go and pulled even on goals by Rafferty, Rebecca Idson and Catie Breglia. After Plainedge regained the lead with 15.3 seconds to go, Long Beach’s Katie Whelan won the ensuing faceoff and pushed the ball to Breglia, who fed Rafferty for the equalizer.

“Catie was having a big game, so once she got the ball the defense converged on her,” Ray said of Breglia. “She found a way to get it to Siobhan to tie it.”

The tying goal was Rafferty’s fourth of the game. Breglia had three goals and three assists in regulation, Whelan three goals and six draw controls, and freshman goaltender Sarah Reznick dazzled with a dozen saves. “Sarah made some huge stops,” Ray said.

Long Beach entered the game with four straight wins and will take a record of 11-2 or 10-3 into the playoffs.

Balanced scoring, a consistent defense spearheaded by Emma Cohen and Brianne Canner, and solid if not spectacular goaltending by Reznick have been the keys to success, Ray said. Breglia has 31 goals and 22 assists, Idson 30 goals and 11 assists, Rafferty 27 goals, Whelan and Hannah Sofield 18 apiece, and Kaylee Callahan 10. Reznick has 109 saves and counting.

“Our scoring is so spread out, it makes us tough to shut down,” Ray said.

After Wantagh snapped their five-game winning streak, the Lady Marines started another April 21 with a 13-4 victory over Locust Valley. Breglia (four goals, two assists) and Rafferty (three goals, three assists) registered six points apiece, while Whelan added two goals and two assists, and Idson a hat trick.

Two nights later Long Beach beat Seaford, 16-6, behind eight different goal scorers. Rafferty, Whelan and Idson netted three apiece. Breglia and Callahan had two goals, while Sofield, Molly Pfaff and Jillian Canner chipped in one apiece.

Last Saturday, Long Beach played its lowest-scoring game since the opener when it outlasted Port Washington, 7-5. Ray said both goaltenders, Reznick and Port’s Claudia Hanover, had a lot to do with the lack of offensive fireworks. Both made eight saves. Breglia had three goals and one assist, Idson scored twice, and Sofield and Rafferty once.