Long Island's Sam Apuzzo wins Athletes Unlimited Pro Lacrosse championship

Sam Apuzzo has played in the Athletes Unlimited Pro Lacrosse league since its debut in 2021. After finishing as runner-up in back-to-back years, Apuzzo can now call herself a champion.

Athletes Unlimited is unlike nearly any other professional league. Rather than having players compete on the same team weekly and crown a champion based on wins and losses, the women's league combines both individual and team success. It’s a four-week season with three games per week — played at USA Lacrosse Headquarters in Glencoe, Maryland — and rosters change weekly.

There’s an individual scoring system in which players earn points for statistics such as goals, assists, saves and caused turnovers. Game MVPs are decided after each contest, which earns players additional points. Team performance also matters, with win points awarded after each quarter and at the conclusion of the contest.

Apuzzo, a West Babylon native, won the 2024 Athletes Unlimited season with 1,852 points. Charlotte North finished second with 1,654 and Ally Kennedy, a North Babylon native, was third with 1,582.

“I knew this was going to be the most challenging year I’ve ever participated in, just because of how great all the new players were coming in and everyone who was coming back,” Apuzzo said. “It was probably the most competitive lacrosse I’ve played since my college career.”

Apuzzo, who also is an assistant women’s lacrosse coach at defending national champion Boston College, played at the institution after graduating from West Babylon High School in 2015. She said she was grateful for the opportunity to play professional lacrosse this summer and thrilled to finish atop the league.

“It is so special,” Apuzzo said. “I have so many emotions about it because I don’t even know how to fully encompass what the feeling is.”

Apuzzo had more than 100 MVP points than any other player in the league, which played a key role in her championship. She totaled 29 goals and 12 assists in 12 games and recorded 642 points from stats alone, the most in the league. Her teams went 8-4 this summer.

“The players this year just showed out and showed how talented and creative and incredible athletes they are, which has made the league so fun to play in,” Apuzzo said. “It was the best lacrosse I’ve seen in a long time.”

West Babylon girls lacrosse coach Colleen Kilgus has known Apuzzo since the seventh grade and isn’t surprised to see her excel at the professional level.

“She’s always been a game changer,” Kilgus said. “When she’s on your team, you’re going to win, and I think that shows from every team she’s been on.”

Kilgus thinks the combination of an individual and team format favors Apuzzo because even though she can score with the best players in the world, Kilgus doesn’t think of Apuzzo as a selfish player.

“In that format, it’s hard because you can have a lot of selfish play but that’s not her play, and I think that’s why everyone wants to be on her team,” Kilgus said. “Sam is never a person who would go into this and say she’s going to win it. She’ll say my team is going to win or someone on my team is going to win this.”

Apuzzo’s life has centered around lacrosse for about as long as she can remember, which is exactly how she wants it.

“It’s something that I’m so passionate about and I feel my career calling in a way is lacrosse and I’m so lucky to be able to have that path to continue not only playing but staying the game coaching-wise,” Apuzzo said. “It’s something I hold so tight to my heart because it really is a special thing and I don’t think too many people can say they are passionate about their careers and I feel very lucky to say that.”