Miller Place field hockey's Abigail LoNigro has emotional Senior Night a little over a year after her father's passing
Abigail LoNigro, Miller Place senior on the varsity field hockey team, poses for pictures with family members including four-year-old cousin Hannah Cardaci in her arms during the team's Senior Night at Miller Place High School on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024. Credit: James Escher
Senior Night is a momentous milestone for high school athletes, marking the culmination of years of dedication to their sport.
On the brink of a field hockey division title, Miller Place’s five seniors had plenty to reflect upon on Monday night. For one of the Panthers’ stars, it was more than a typical senior send-off.
Forward Abigail LoNigro has dedicated her athletic career, which will continue in lacrosse at Quinnipiac, to her father Matthew LoNigro. Matthew, a staple in the Miller Place community, died suddenly on May 10, 2023 at the age of 51.
As part of the pregame festivities honoring the seniors, Abigail was introduced on the field alongside her mother, Julia, her older brother, Matthew Jr., and several of her extended family members. All five seniors had pre-written speeches read over the speaker system, and Abigail’s included a thanks to her dad for “always providing confidence both on the field and from above.”
“It was so exciting just to have all my family here to support me,” Abigail said. “After losing my dad, having a support system like them has really just gotten me through every single thing. I know no matter what, even after a bad game, I’ll still get texts from my aunts, my uncles, my cousins…
“It’s so inviting, almost, to know you have such a big support system behind you.”
LoNigro scored two goals — the first with 2:05 left in the first quarter and the second with 10:45 remaining in the third — as host Miller Place defeated West Islip, 5-0, in the Suffolk Division II regular-season finale to secure the outright league title.
“Matt was at every single sporting event her entire life, from Pee-Wee soccer to up until he passed away,” Julia said. “The day before he passed away, we were at Harborfields for a lacrosse game. There wasn't one game he missed between travel, school, youth — he was at every single game.”
Mackenzie Burger scored in the second-quarter, Kendall Zakar had a late third-quarter goal and senior Gwendolyn Smith added a fourth-quarter score for Miller Place (15-1, 15-1), which is set to host a Suffolk Class B quarterfinal game against a to-be-determined opponent next Monday. It is seeking its 24th county title and first since spring 2021.
West Islip finished its season 4-12.
Matthew LoNigro was a 1989 graduate of Newfield High School and played lacrosse at Salisbury University. He was a longtime youth lacrosse and soccer coach and a life coach for Hope House Ministries of Port Jefferson.
Hope House named one of its facilities “Matt’s House” in his memory. The Town of Brookhaven honored him by adding “Matthew LoNigro Drive” as an honorary street name between Biscayne Drive and Comet Road in Selden. In the spring, the Miller Place girls lacrosse team played a fundraiser game against Smithtown West that raised $10,000 for Hope House.
“He was my biggest supporter,” Abigail said. “So when that happened, it was devastating. But then I was like, I have something even more important to play for than myself and my team.”
Ben Dickson joined Newsday’s high school sports staff in 2023 after graduating from Maryland, where he covered several of the Terrapins' teams.