A Boys Lacrosse Rout on Bonac Turf

The East End boys lacrosse team, the Islanders, played with great intensity on East Hampton High’s turf field Friday, defeating Port Jefferson — a team that had bested the Islanders last year — 15-8, though going into the fourth quarter, the Islanders pretty much had it sewed up, at 13-3.

The win evened the Islanders’ record at 3-3, and was the third in a row for the Southampton-based team, which can draw players from Southampton, East Hampton, Bridgehampton, Pierson, and Ross.

East Hampton’s contingent, namely Brian Damm, Cole Shaw, Logan Gurney, Aidan Cooper, and Jack Ulrich, figured prominently in Friday’s rout, though Southampton’s Matt Babb, the head coach, said afterward via email that “it was a complete team effort with great contributions by players from East Hampton, Southampton, Pierson, and Ross. . . . We are definitely heading in a positive direction, especially considering that we only have five seniors on our 22-man roster.”

It was a rare opportunity for Bonac fans to see the varsity team, whose games usually are played in Southampton. The Islanders are to play here this afternoon also, against McGann-Mercy.

The visitors broke the ice with about four minutes gone, in a man-up situation, but the Islanders’ goalie, Hudson Brindle, a Southampton freshman, ultimately proved himself to be a very tough nut to crack.

Luke Marro, a Southampton freshman midfielder who was to finish with three goals and two assists, after surviving two slashes by a Royal defender, got the Islanders even with five minutes remaining in the period. With about two minutes to go, Gurney, who had hit the post moments before, made it 2-1 Islanders, from about eight yards away.

With their defenders closely marking Port Jeff’s attackmen, the Islanders began to pour it on in the second frame. Shaw easily beat a defender and the goalie to put the home team up 3-1 when the period began, and before it was over, Damm, Marro, Gurney, and Jameson Willey had added to the count. Damm’s score, from about 20 yards out, followed a steal in the Islanders’ defensive end by Marro, who streaked unmolested down the field. 

A man-up goal by the Royals made it 4-2, but the Islanders then proceeded to reel off three unanswered scores, by the aforementioned Marro, Gurney, and Willey — the latter’s coming in a man-up situation from about 22 yards.

During the halftime break, Babb, obviously pleased with what he had seen, told his charges, who were leading 7-2 at the time, to keep it up.

And they did, outscoring the Royals 6-1 in the third period. The festivities began when Marro, upon winning the opening face-off, dashed forward and, from about 15 yards, bounced a shot into Port Jeff’s nets.

Brindle was decked soon after as he stepped out of the crease, the high hit earning the perpetrator a two-minute penalty. Cooper came off as well, for a minute, for having retaliated. 

Following a 5-on-5 standoff, the Islanders found themselves down a man after Damm was penalized a minute for slashing, but Brindle came up big, making three successive saves before Cooper fed Shaw for a breakaway goal that upped the Islanders’ margin to 9-2.

Just before the period ended, Port Jefferson was to score its sole even-up goal thus far that afternoon. 

The long list of Islander contributors included, besides Marro, who had three goals and three assists, Gurney, with three and one, Shaw, with three and one, Kai Parcher-Charles, with two goals, and Damm (an underhand bullet from way out), Michael Arkinson, Willey, and Connor Rozzi, with one goal each. Zach Finder and Cooper Brindle each had one assist.

“The boys work hard and they genuinely care for one another no matter the high school they attend,” Babb said afterward. “I believe that combining these schools has been a positive experience for all involved. We hope that the kids in East Hampton and Southampton’s youth and middle school programs will continue to buy in and stick with the sport.”

Before the game began, many of these youngsters shook hands with the varsity, which, said Babb, “was great to see.”

As aforesaid, it was the third win in a row for the Islanders, who had beaten Hampton Bays 17-3 on April 9 and bested Center Moriches 10-6 on April 11.