Jenna Obloj's goal gives West Islip berth in Suffolk B girls lacrosse final

Alex Livingston turned a routine play into the turning point.

Eastport-South Manor was running the ball up the field, but before the Sharks could cross the 50-yard line, Livingston knocked the ball loose and picked up the ground ball.

The sophomore midfielder dashed 40 yards to the net and found Jenna Obloj, who put in the go-ahead goal of No. 2 West Islip’s 5-4 win over visiting No. 3 Eastport-South Manor in the Suffolk Class B girls lacrosse semifinals Saturday afternoon.

“We emphasize riding hard on the rides and making sure that the ball doesn’t get back down to our defense, so we can come back up and get another chance,” Livingston said.

“I knew she would win that ground ball, so I made the run down to field to meet her at the crease,” added Obloj, a freshman. “(Eastport goalie Ashley Langdon) is very good, so we had to really place our shots well.”

The reigning Suffolk B champions will host top-seeded Smithtown West in the county final at 7 p.m. on Friday.

Obloj’s goal gave the Lions a 4-3 lead with 5:27 left in the third quarter. Earlier in the third, Francesca Tofano scored the tying goal on a free position shot, erasing the 3-0 deficit West Islip faced in the second quarter.

Eastport earned a free position shot with 1:40 left in the fourth, but junior goalie Makenna Gagliardi was there to stop it.

“Throughout the season, she’s made some unbelievable saves,” West Islip coach Joe Nicolosi said. “That save right there, making those big time saves in a big moment, that is Makenna Gagliardi.”

It was the Penn State commit’s only save of the game, as West Islip controlled the ball for most of the second half. When the Sharks did possess the ball, the Lions defense was stout and limited shooting lanes.

“We always talk about moving the ball around and not trying to force it on the third or fourth pass and to get it around a couple more times and find the opening,” Livingston said.

Obloj’s sister, Ava, scored with 38 seconds left to give West Islip a 5-3 lead. Ava also assisted Carley Sgueglia on West Islip’s first goal of the game.

Langdon made 10 saves and Amanda Sweeney scored two goals for Eastport, which finished 9-8.

West Islip (10-5) will look to defend its title in a rematch of last year’s county final, when the Lions took an 8-6 win over Smithtown West.

“You don’t always get to go to a county championship, especially at your home field,” Jenna Obloj said. “It’s a special moment, we’re all so excited.”