Huntington girls lacrosse team wins Long Island Class A final with Ava McDonald leading strong defense
Huntington rushes the field after winning the Long Island Class A final against Massapequa on Sunday at Stony Brook. Credit: Michael A. Rupolo Sr.
For the Huntington girls lacrosse team, it’s all about belief.
It’s written on signs sprinkled in the crowd, it’s printed on the warmup gear and it’s in the music they play after big wins. All the Blue Devils have to do is believe.
And it rang true on Sunday morning when they defeated Massapequa for the second year in a row, 9-6, to earn the Long Island Class A title at Stony Brook’s LaValle Stadium.
“This team has been overlooked all season long,” defender Ava McDonald said. “But we were built for these moments. We face adversity and we run right through it. It’s the power of belief. We have to believe that we can win and we do believe that we can win.”
It was an even spread for Huntington’s offense, which received two goals each from Olivia Puccio, Ava Bencivenga and Jolie Weinschreider.
The Blue Devils held a 7-3 halftime lead before Massapequa went on a 3-1 run to make the score 8-6 for much of the fourth quarter.
When Huntington netted one more goal with less than a minute remaining, Weinschreider said she knew it was in the bag — and that her team would be nothing without its core value: belief.
“We came out this season knowing that we had a lot to prove to the Island, and that’s exactly what we did,” Weinschreider said. “I don’t think a lot of people believed in us to do it again, and that’s why we doubled down. We work together, we don’t get frustrated and we have the power of belief in each other. That’s what really completes our team.”
Huntington (18-2) will face the winner of Suffern/Valley Central in the state semifinals at 9 a.m. Friday at SUNY Cortland.
McDonald and her defense played a crucial role in the Blue Devils’ win, regaining possession when Massapequa took control of the draw circle. Massapequa outperformed Huntington 12-6 in draw controls but struggled to capitalize.
McDonald had two ground balls and caused two turnovers. Juliet Johnson made 13 saves.
“Defense has been huge for us the entire season,” coach Megan Marinelli said. “We’ve played games where we have been on defense for the majority of the time, and they just continue to step up in big moments. When they get scored on, they never panic. They just reset.”
Natalie Byrns and Olivia LoGuidice grabbed six draw controls each for Massapequa, which finished 15-4. Savanna Appleton had two goals and two assists and Emily Fitzgerald made 10 saves.
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.
