Unbeaten Sayville girls lacrosse team wins Long Island Class C championship
Morgan Farrell of Sayville hoists the championship plaque after the Golden Flashes won the Long Island Class C girls lacrosse final against South Side on Sunday at Stony Brook's LaValle Stadium. Credit: Michael A. Rupolo Sr.
The last time the Sayville girls lacrosse team won the Long Island Class C title in 2024, it went on to claim its first state crown.
The Golden Flashes believe they can do it again.
Sayville beat South Side, 8-5, in the L.I. championship game at Stony Brook’s LaValle Stadium on Sunday. Though the joy of hoisting the trophy was palpable, coach Gary Jensen said his team has its sights set on something bigger.
“At the beginning of the season, we set out with a higher goal,” Jensen said.
“Our ultimate goal is to win a state championship, and this win is a stepping-stone to get there. So we’ll enjoy this, but then it’s time to hit the reset button because our mission isn’t accomplished yet.”
Sayville (19-0) will face Section I’s Rye in the state semifinals at 2 p.m. Friday at SUNY Cortland.
The Long Island win wasn’t an easy one. Sayville trailed at halftime (4-3) for the first time since March. With Sophia Buffardi on the draw, however, getting the ball back wasn’t an issue. Buffardi won nine of the 17 draws taken, an aspect of the game she believes helped win it.
“It’s definitely important, but I have my whole team around to support me too,” she said.
“I knew I had to get possession as much as I could to give the defense a break and, in return, the offense needed to put the ball in the back of the net.”
And find the net they did. Sayville outscored South Side 5-1 in the second half to seal the win. Olivia Razzano facilitated more than half of those opportunities with three assists.
When it comes to her connection with her teammates, Razzano said it’s all about patience.
“It came down to waiting for the right play because, at times, we needed to get the ball around a few times,” she said. “I just kept my head up the whole time so that, when the right look showed up, I trusted her to catch and finish.”
Besides the squad’s unfinished quest for another state title, Buffardi said the most exciting part of this win is an opportunity to play another week of her favorite game with some of her best friends.
“I think we’re just excited to have another week to play together,” she said. “We’re so close as a team and we’re so pumped to share this together. This extra week means everything to us.”
Olivia Mayerhofer scored three goals and Skye Korten had three assists for South Side (12-8). Juliet Diorio controlled four draws and Tara Cody made eight 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.
