For Massapequa Girls’ Lacrosse, A Sixth Straight County Championship Is A Goal Accomplished

MASSAPEQUA, NY — When the final whistle sounded at Farmingdale State Wednesday night, it was a familiar scene: Massapequa’s girls’ lacrosse team had won the county championship, beating Syosset by a 13-5 margin to claim their sixth consecutive county title.

It was the culmination of a strong season for Massapequa, finishing this leg of their season with a 15-3 record and a win in the county championship. That win, according to an old coach’s adage, was a case of one of the hardest things to do in sports: Beat the same team twice. Massapequa had beaten Syosset 19-9 on May 7, and Wednesday’s game was more of the same.

In an interview with Patch, coach Leigh Ann Zimmer said the win was the reward for a season of hard work that the girls on the team had put in.

“It’s always your goal coming in. You set goals as a team as to what you want, and this was obviously one of our goals,” Zimmer said of the county title. “So, the girls worked really hard all year. So it's great when you see that they're able to accomplish the goal that they said at the beginning of the season."

With one goal down, Zimmer said another one is fast approaching: The June 7 Long Island championship, against a to-be-determined Suffolk County champion. While the county championship is a milestone, Zimmer said it’s not one that shakes her team’s focus this late on in the season.

“If anything, it motivates them even more. I mean, they really want this, as a team,” Zimmer said. “My seniors definitely want it. I have three seniors that are wonderful. They've been playing together forever. So, I think, for them, they're the ones that are really motivating the team, keeping them energized, keeping them focused, and making sure that they're staying focused on what the team's goal is.”

Those seniors — Savanna Appleton, Grace Hoffman, and Kali Humann — have been a cornerstone for this county title-winning team, Zimmer said. Their leadership, both on and off the field, has had what Zimmer called a “huge” impact, “every single day.”

“At the beginning of the season, when we approached them about being captains, we told them to take a day or two before they really considered taking on that role, and understanding truly what it meant — that this was going to be your team, and that it was based on your leadership — and they came back and said that they were ready,” Zimmer said. “They have done such an amazing job. And I think the success that we've had this year is to really based on their leadership. They're keeping it positive, but at the same time, they're pushing the girls to have such impactful practices, and making sure that everything is competitive. But, at a time where we need to come together and have a little bit of support, they're always there for the girls. And I just think that, again, our success is based on them.”

While the seniors have been leaders throughout the season, Zimmer said sophomore goalie Emily Fitzgerald played a stellar game in net.

“She literally played outstanding,” Zimmer said. “It was the best game that she's had. She made saves that were unbelievable, she was the true leader on the defensive end. She played awesome.”

Fitzgerald recorded nine saves in the title game.

A day after winning that game, in an interview with Patch, Zimmer was asked if the feeling of winning a county title ever gets old, especially after doing so six times in a row. Thanks in part to the changing over of the team’s roster, Zimmer had a simple answer.

“No…for every team, it's different, you know?” Zimmer said. “It's always different personalities, different teams. But every team, obviously, you're trying to win for them. You're trying to win for your seniors. So it never gets old…I love winning, and I'm going to do everything it takes to have my team be as successful as they can be, and to be prepared on game day.”