Thursday, October 1, 2026
The Vikings had rallied to score four unanswered goals to tie the score entering the fourth quarter.
It was time for Captain Clutch.
Paige Garguilo scored twice in the fourth quarter and came up with a critical interception to help top-seeded Massapequa defeat No. 2 Port Washington, 11-9, and capture a fifth straight county title May 27 at Adelphi University.
“She’s a two-year captain. She’s one of those kids who wants to try and put the team on her back. She knows she can do it,” Chiefs coach Brendan Gaghan said. “She’s one of the most clutch players I’ve ever coached.”
Garguilo wasn’t the only clutch player for the Chiefs, who advanced to the Long Island championship against either Ward Melville or Huntington June 2.
In the waning seconds of the third quarter, Port Washington’s Catherine Karman beat the buzzer with a low shot on frame. But Massapequa goalie Emily Fitzgerald made the massive save, one of seven for the freshman in the game.
“I think that save was like the deciding factor of that game,” Garguilo said. “Emily had some big, big saves, and I think that one was the most important. She had our back, we have hers, and from there on, the whole game switched.”
Added Gaghan: “She completely changed the momentum of the game by just making a key save there. And then she had another huge one in the fourth quarter when we were up by one goal.”
Garguilo then opened the fourth quarter with her fourth goal of the game to put Massapequa (10-8) in front, 9-8. After Margaret Cassidy tied the score for Port Washington (9-8) with her second goal of the game, Isabella Grosso netted her third to put the Chiefs back in front with 4:36 left in regulation.
Natalie Byrns then picked up a huge ground ball to gain back possession for Massapequa.
“She really stepped up as a sophomore this year. She does all the gritty work,” Gaghan said of Byrns. “She’s great on the draw, picks up ground balls that people don’t even think can be picked up.”
Also playing a pivotal role for Massapequa was Reilly Cereghino, who held Violet Ortenzi, who scored 35 goals heading into the final, without a goal.
While Savanna Appleton only had one assist, her contribution down the stretch to keep possession helped ensure the Chiefs were celebrating at the end.
“We called two timeouts and we put the ball on her stick, just knowing that she would make the right decisions,” Gaghan said.
When Garguilo, who added her fifth goal of the game to put the Chiefs in front 11-9 with 1:13 left, came up with a key steal in the midfield, Captain Clutch knew the Massapequa dynasty continued.
“Unbelievable. I mean, just to win with these girls as a senior, with all my best friends, like this whole team,” she said. “That interception just solidified it, and I knew that we worked so hard this whole season, and we deserved that county championship.”
