Ava Simonton was only in eighth grade when her Ward Melville girls lacrosse team lost to nationally-ranked Northport, 8-7, in the Suffolk County Class A championship game. But that didn’t dull this freshman midfielder’s will to win. Simonton recorded six points on four goals and two assists Wednesday to help the Patriots charge toward a dominating 12-7 win that avenged that defeat.
“As soon as last season ended, we were talking about this game, so this feels really good,” said Simonton, who added there were no nerves despite knowing the Tigers (9-1) were No. 5 on the Nike/USA Lacrosse High School Girls’ National Top 25. “We were really excited.”
Sophomore midfielder Amelia Pirozzi got Ward Melville (9-2) on the board early after drawing a shooting space call at 23:17, and sophomore attack Grace Balocca was quick to follow it up with a score off sophomore MaryJane Timpanaro’s draw win before Simonton recorded back-to-back goals despite a Northport timeout in-between to put the Patriots out front 4-0.
“After that loss last year, we just really wanted this, so we came out with a lot of motivation,” Simonton said. “We wanted to be ready to play them, because they’re an awesome team.”
The Tigers pulled within two goals when a rebound was scooped up amid a scrum in front of the cage and placed in to make it 5-2 with 10:25 to go in the first half, but would only come as close as three goals three times the rest of the way. Timpanaro helped her team control the circle, and that added time of possession led to more opportunities to put it away early. Her ensuing draw win propelled Simonton to her hat trick goal. The freshman bulled her way up the middle — evading defenders as she’d done before — and blasted her shot down low from close range to give the Patriots a 6-3 lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
“We had some open looks,” Simonton said. “They created open space my team was created for me, too, and they’re always so supportive. I love my teammates. I couldn’t do it without them.”
Ward Melville was also stifling on defense. Sophomore midfielder Olivia Comerford locked down top shooters and scooped up ground balls, Timpanaro came away with stick checks for turnovers and when the ball did get by the Patriots sophomore goalkeeper Ava Carrillo was there to make one of her six saves.
By halftime, Ward Melville led 8-3, with Simonton scoring all four of hers in the first half, and Pirozzi tacking on another. The sophomore midfielder finished with three goals and one assist, finding Kate Spinks up front on a pass from the right side to lift the Patriots to a 9-3 lead to open the second.
Julia Huxtable was still a force for Northport, also finishing with four goals. She was first fed the ball from Haleigh Greenberg (two goals), before scoring unassisted to pull the Tigers back within three, 9-6, but Ward Melville sophomore midfielder Emilia Retzlaff picked up the ball off the next draw and set up eighth-grade attack Aliya Leonard’s goal. Despite Northport winning more of the draws in the second half, Pirozzi secured her hat trick goal and Retzlaff recorded the final goal of the game after and prior to Tigers draw wins to give the game its final score.
Ward Melville travels to Huntington (8-4) next, on Friday, April 28, before heading to Half Hollow Hills (3-7) Tuesday, May 2. Both games are scheduled to start at 5 p.m. Northport travels to Sachem East (5-3) Saturday, April 29, for a 10:15 a.m. matchup before visiting Whitman (4-5) on Tuesday at 5 p.m.
“I cannot explain how excited we are,” Simonton said. “With this team, I think we’re going to make it far.”
