Smithtown East-Floyd game postponed after referee is injured
Referee Jackee Redko is looked at by the Smithtown East trainer after an injury during the opening minutes of a girls lacrosse game between Floyd and host Smithtown East on Monday. Credit: George A Faella
Monday’s Floyd vs. Smithtown East Suffolk Division I girls lacrosse game was postponed because of an injury to referee Jackee Redko.
Roughly two minutes into the contest, Redko fell and suffered a lower-body injury on the turf field at Smithtown East High School. She was unable to continue officiating the game and was carted off after receiving assistance from Smithtown East trainer Samantha Caruso.
Smithtown East had taken possession and entered the offensive zone when Redko fell.
“It was unfortunate that she went down,” Floyd coach Paul Vassallo said. “I hope all the best for her.”
The game will be resumed at a date to be determined with Floyd leading 1-0 and 22:44 remaining in the first half. Kayla Gilmore scored for Floyd.
Smithtown West (4-0) and Floyd (3-1) are two of the stronger teams in Suffolk I. Vassallo and Smithtown East coach BrieClaire Sheehy said the other referee, Maureen Allmendinger, told them that because it was a strong matchup, she didn’t want to officiate the game by herself.
“We trust Maureen to have done it,” Sheehy said. “But they needed the two refs for such a high-quality game.”
“Maureen knows this is a battle for second place,” Vassallo said. “It’s extremely competitive teams. To have one referee on a game of this intensity, or any game, but especially in this case, with these unforeseen circumstances, they wanted to make sure it was a properly officiated game.”
Smithtown East ended Floyd’s season last year with an 11-7 victory in the Suffolk Division I quarterfinals.
“This was a highly anticipated game for us,” Vassallo said. “This was the team that knocked us out of the playoffs last year in the Elite Eight on that turf, so today’s game was a massive statement and redemption game for us.”
