High expectations remain for Wantagh Warriors girls lacrosse team

The Wantagh girls are looking to return to the championship stage with some key returners and new faces eager to grab the baton.

The Warriors fell just short of a repeat county title last year in a 14-8 loss to South Side in the Class C finals.

“We have a lot of returners, so they know the kind of teams we play and they know what we are supposed to do against those teams,” said fourth-year coach Lauren Ruppert. “Their expectations are set already so they already know what we're set up to do.”

The offense will be keyed largely by senior midfielder Sabrina Asadurian, a Stony Brook commit who tallied 52 goals last season. Senior Siena-bound midfielder Mia Dankenbrink also brings veteran leadership close to the net after tallying 19 goals as a junior, and will also be taking many draw controls this spring to try and gain Wantagh crucial extra possessions.

Ruppert is also looking for a big senior season from attacker Madeline Drago, a UMBC commit who registered 22 goals on 15 goals and seven assists last spring.

“We are really looking at her to set things up with the attack,” Rupper said of Drago. “She sees the field really well.”

Hailey Mekeel is also showing potential at attack after earning a varsity spot following a successful run on the Wangagh Middle School team as a seventh grader.

The defense returns sophomore Annika Kurz, who started as a freshman and will be counted on to guard the opposing teams’ top scorer at times. Junior Kylie Coners and senior Angelina Nappi will also patrol the defense in front of senior goalie Madeline Gonzalez.

Wantagh will once again face a rigorous schedule in Conference I featuring some of Long Island's top teams such as Garden City, Massapequa, Manhasset and Farmingdale. The Warriors will again compete in Class C during the playoffs with South Side expected once again to pose an obstacle to their quest for a county title.

To read more about the Wantagh Warriors' 2026 boys lacrosse team, click here. To see more of the Herald’s 2026 Lacrosse Preview, click here.