Carly Cangelosi's three goals help Sayville girls lacrosse team remain undefeated
Carly Cangelosi of Sayville charges toward the goal in the second quarter of a Suffolk Division II matchup against Bayport-Blue Point on Monday in Sayville. Credit: Michael A. Rupolo Sr.
A year ago, Bayport-Blue Point put an end to the Sayville girls lacrosse team’s season in the Class C Suffolk championship. On Monday, the Golden Flashes made sure that wouldn’t happen again.
Sayville defeated the Phantoms, 13-6, in a Suffolk II matchup at home. Dylan McNamara led the team with two goals and three assists. She said that championship loss was all the motivation her team needed.
“They went up, 6-0, on us last year,” McNamara said. “They had a target on their back this year and we really wanted to get up on them big. This win was really important to us.”
After a first quarter stalemate that ended in a 2-2 tie, Sayville turned up the heat. Carly Cangelosi scored two of Sayville’s six second-quarter goals, giving the Golden Flashes an 8-3 halftime lead. Cangelosi scored three goals with an assist on the day.
Cangelosi said her team’s chemistry is becoming more and more apparent with every win.
“There’s a lot of nerves, a lot of excitement coming into a game like this,” Cangelosi said. “But we lean on our teammates, we lean on each other. We’re so tight, our team chemistry is unmatched and, although we’re excited, we can still keep our composure and get tough wins.”
Sayville’s offense fired on all cylinders, but its defense could not be ignored. Julia Lilienthal made seven saves and the team racked up seven caused turnovers. McNamara, who scooped up three ground balls, said it was the defensive vision that allowed Sayville (11-0, 9-0) to pull away.
“On offense, we read their defense and on defense, we read their offense,” McNamara said. “We switched up our zone from a backer to a rover, we switched to our man [defense], all those looks just kept their offense guessing.”
Kailey Bruckner scored three goals and Peyton D’Angelo made six saves for Bayport-Blue Point (5-5, 4-5). The Phantoms are reigning Class C state champions, and Sayville coach Gary Jenson said taking them down is not a win he takes lightly.
“I have so much respect for the Bayport[-Blue Point] program,” Jenson said. “Every game is big, but this one is a little bit bigger, especially after last year. This one definitely feels good.”
But the Golden Flashes have their sights set on something bigger than a rivalry win: a state title of their own. To Jensen, it’s athletes like Cangelosi and McNamara who will help Sayville get there.
“They’re not only competitors, but also the greatest teammates ever,” Jensen said. “That combination is very rare. They’re students of the game, they want to be pushed, and they’re constantly trying to learn more.”
Tess Ferguson is a reporter on Newsday's high school sports staff. She joined the team after graduating with a journalism degree from Ithaca College in 2025.
