Sayville girls lacrosse scores five unanswered in third quarter to pull away from Westhampton

“No maybes.”

That’s what the Sayville girls lacrosse team repeats to themselves every time they’re on the offensive end of the field. It’s a reminder to value each possession and not to force shots that can “maybe” go in. They are patient for the perfect opportunity.

It’s a strategy that’s proven to work.

Sayville defeated host Westhampton, 12-8, on Saturday morning in a Suffolk Division II matchup to earn its sixth consecutive win.

“Being patient is something that coach [Gary] Jensen really emphasizes,” sophomore Dylan McNamara said. “Not just taking the first look but waiting for the best opportunity is a huge part of our game.”

This mantra became even more important when Sayville (7-1) trailed Westhampton at halftime.

“We were just playing timid in the first half,” McNamara said. “We knew it was a big game, we had to shake out our nerves and focus on working together.”

McNamara scored three goals, Morgan Farrell had four goals and Sophia Buffardi had one goal and two assists.

“They were angry because they knew they weren’t playing their best,” Jensen said. “[Westhampton] came out aggressive and we were a little bit tentative. We needed our offense to click.”

After a bit of an offensive adjustment at halftime, the Golden Flashes were able to click almost immediately. Less than a minute into the third quarter, Buffardi found a wide-open McNamara in front of the net, who tied the score at four. Sayville went on to score four more goals in the 5-0 period.

“We started to move the ball better and communicate more,” junior Olivia Desimone said. “We know that when we move the ball well, that’s when we see the most success.”

Desimone played a key role in that success, totaling a goal and seven assists.

“Olivia clearly understands the game,” Jensen said. “She’s an incredible player because she understands exactly what’s going on and is able to think two steps ahead.”

“Whenever I get the ball, I look straight to the middle,” Desimone said. “I’m always looking for an open teammate. I know I can rely on them and trust them to catch and score.”

Maiya Boughal had three goals for Westhampton (7-2), which was held to one goal between the second and third quarters.

“Our defense was fantastic,” Jensen said. “It’s not really surprising, though, they’ve been playing like this all season. They work very, very well together and really did their part.”

Although Jensen said his team is improving each day, he believes the Golden Flashes haven't reached their peak and he looks forward to what they will accomplish when they get there.

“We’re not even playing our best lacrosse yet,” Jensen said. “We still have lots of improvements to make and we work on that every single day. We’re just getting better and better, slowly getting to where our potential is and I think the future is very bright for us.”