Blue Waves girls lax squad pushing for playoff run

After winning the last five of six games last year to finish 6-10 overall, the Riverhead girls lacrosse team figured they’d be bringing some momentum into this year for a possible playoff run. But even with many of their top guns returning, it’s been an up and down season thus far.

Through eight games, the Blue Waves have posted a 4-4 record, led mostly by high-scoring seniors Logan Pilon and Sadie Schultz. They’ve earned wins against Hampton Bays, Bellport, East Hampton/Bridgehampton/Pierson and Lindenhurst. And in those wins, they’ve averaged 15 goals per game. In their losses, they’ve only managed to score around six.

“Even in our losses we have our moments,” Riverhead head coach Megan Pepe said. “We have spurts that we show really strong unit play. It’s just we haven’t been able to put it all together against some of the tougher teams in our division.”

Pilon has scored 26 goals to go along with eight assists this year to lead the team in points. Schultz is not far behind with 22 goals and five assists. Both seniors have committed to play Division I lacrosse next year at Manhattan University and the University of Delaware respectively. 

In the games they’ve won, the scoring duo has dominated; they’ll need to continue to that if Riverhead wants to make the playoffs this year.

“Logan has been on varsity since eighth grade,” Pepe said. “You know exactly what you’re going to get from her every game. She’s really good at going toward goal. Logan and Sadie work very well off of one another.”

Schultz is coming off an ACL injury and is slowly getting back in the swing of things. The midfielder scored 42 goals last year for the Blue Waves. She’s been featured a lot in the draw circle where she works with Pilon to earn possessions.

But the draw circle has been the main culprit in many of this season’s losses. 

“Hard to score if you don’t have possession,” Pepe said. “We’re still a work in progress there. We have the athletes to win the face-offs. I think we just need to be better at communicating with one another to grab those ground balls when given the opportunity.”

Missing from the current unit is midfielder Kyleigh Lennon who was injured during the winter months ahead of the season. She was a crucial part of last year’s team, but in her absence, Sacha Richard has really stepped up for the team.

“Sacha has been a go-to lockdown defender for us this year,” Pepe said. “We constantly ask her to zone in on the other team’s best option, and she more often than not takes them out of the game.”

There are several must-wins up left on the schedule in order for the Blue Waves to make the playoffs this year. They haven’t posted a winning season in more than five years, but the talent is there to do it this time around.

“Making the playoffs is something we have definitely talked about more this year,” Pepe said. “We can’t rely on other teams to lose to make it, though. We have to control our own destiny and win those close games. That’s what it’s going to take.”