Wantagh girls lacrosse's Riley Forthofer helps team regain confidence in victory over Long Beach

Before the game, Riley Forthofer compared Wantagh’s four-game losing streak to a drought with some water necessary to recapture the full essence of the team’s potential. Turns out water wasn’t the answer though. It was goals, assists, draw controls and timely defensive stops, and Wantagh had an abundance of that in crucial moments on Tuesday.

Wantagh defeated host Long Beach, 11-9, in Nassau Conference I girls lacrosse on Tuesday to snap its losing skid. Two of the four losses came in one-goal defeats as Wantagh has been competitive in nearly every game this season.

“These past games we’ve lost have been really close, so to win this really brings back our confidence 100%,” Forthofer said. “It reminds us how good we really are and how much we can accomplish.”

Wantagh (6-8, 5-4) is the defending Nassau Class C champion and by playing in Conference I along with a challenging non-league schedule, no matchup is easy for the team. But that’s exactly how Wantagh wants it.

“This will help us prepare for playoff games because this team was really good,” midfielder Sabrina Asadurian said. “I think we all came together really nicely. We’ve been figuring things out at practices and blending it together.”

Asadurian had four goals, including one off an assist from Madeline Drago with 3:16 left in the fourth quarter to tie the score at 9. Isabella Sandoval scored the winner 12 seconds later off an assist from Juliana Cerasi.

Forthofer had a goal and four assists, Sandoval had three goals and Cerasi and Drago each had a goal and two assists.

Skylar Kilfeather had five goals and three assists and Marianna Chimienti had four goals and one assist for Long Beach (7-5, 5-4).

“I think this is going to help us set the tone for the playoffs,” Forthofer said. “We can reference back to this game and know we’ve been in a close game and we understand what to do in certain situations to win it.”

Wantagh went on a 4-0 run for 3:16 in the second quarter to take a 6-4 lead before Long Beach tied the score at 6 before halftime. Wantagh scored both goals of the third quarter before Long Beach opened the final period on a 3-0 run before Wantagh scored the game’s final three goals in a game of runs.

“A lot of turnovers that we shouldn’t have had and I’m sure (Long Beach is) having that same conversation,” coach Lauren Ruppert said. “But the one thing that’s great about Wantagh (players) is they are fighters.”