Sayville girls lacrosse team stays perfect, wins Suffolk Class C title and shoots for first Long Island championship

Sayville girls lacrosse didn’t exist before Gary Jensen, and although he had been away from the program since 2012, Jensen embraced the opportunity to return this season.

Jensen started the Sayville girls lacrosse program in 1998 and coached the team from club status to junior varsity until Sayville became varsity-eligible. He coached varsity until 2012 before becoming an assistant coach at Bayport-Blue Point after departing from Sayville.

This was Jensen’s first season back, and it couldn’t be going any better. Sayville defeated Bayport-Blue Point, 7-6, to win the Suffolk Class C championship at West Islip High School on Friday.

Sayville (18-0) will play the Wantagh/Manhasset winner in the Long Island Class C championship/Southeast Regional final at 10 a.m. on June 1 at Longwood High School.

Bayport-Blue Point (16-3) had won the last four Suffolk Class C titles, including winning a state crown in an undefeated season last year.

“I cannot tell you how much this means because when we first started [the program], we had car washes to raise money to make our own uniforms for that first club year,” Jensen said. “We essentially printed our first uniforms, so to remember back to all those people that made that happen and then to be here, it’s unbelievable.”

Sayville won its first county title since 2014 on Friday.

Dylan McNamara had two goals and an assist, Olivia Desimone had two goals and Sophia Buffardi added a goal and two assists. Sofia Cangelosi scored off an assist from McNamara with seven seconds left in the third quarter to give Sayville a 6-2 lead.

“It was a nice momentum shift,” Cangelosi said. “We definitely needed to punch in another goal and I was really happy I was able to get one in. I knew the clock was winding down, so I just had to shoot it.”

Bayport-Blue Point rallied to score three goals in five minutes to cut Sayville’s lead to 7-6 with 26 seconds left.

Bayport-Blue Point won the ensuing draw control and generated multiple fouls and free-position opportunities, the final one coming with two seconds left from behind the goal. But Bayport-Blue Point’s final shot sailed high as time expired.

“We just knew we needed to have each other’s back,” Buffardi said, “and stay together and finish it off.”

Sayville has never won a Long Island championship in program history.

“We have our eyes set on the state championship,’’ Cangelosi said, “and we’re not going to stop.We’re looking to keep this momentum going.”