Garden City Triumphs in Long Island Class B Girls Lacrosse Final
Garden City showcased the pivotal role of draw control in lacrosse, clinching the Long Island Class B girls lacrosse championship by defeating Smithtown West 9-6 at Adelphi on Tuesday, June 3, 2025. The Trojans demonstrated that dominating possession is the ultimate defense, particularly in a decisive fourth quarter where they controlled the game's tempo and outcome.
The championship game was deadlocked at 6-6 entering the final period. However, Garden City's Regan Backer immediately shifted the momentum by winning the opening draw control and scoring just 39 seconds into the quarter. Following this crucial play, Garden City secured the next two draw controls, maintaining possession for nearly the entirety of the fourth quarter. This dominance allowed them to outscore Smithtown West 3-0 in the final 12 minutes, effectively sealing their victory. Kimberly Colucci and Deanna Prisco also scored for Garden City in this commanding final period.
The significance of draw control was not lost on the players. "That’s a really big part of the game," Backer commented. "If we have possession and we have the ball, we can score. If they have the ball the entire game, they are going to create possessions to score and we’re not." Deanna Prisco echoed this sentiment, especially after a critical play where she chased down a long ground ball following a turnover with 4:16 left. Prisco scored shortly after, with 3:13 remaining, highlighting her determination: "I knew we needed the ball... do whatever you can to get the ball back."
Several Garden City players delivered key performances. Kimberly Colucci contributed significantly with two goals and two assists. Tori Ottomanelli and Kathryn Monaco each added two goals to the Trojans' tally. The collective effort of the draw control unit, comprising Backer, Prisco, Ottomanelli, and Monaco, was instrumental in Garden City's possession dominance throughout the game, particularly when it mattered most.
For Smithtown West, who finished their season with an impressive 16-3 record, reaching the Long Island final marked a historic achievement, as they had won their first county title in program history. Sisters Ashley and Kaitlyn Mennella led their team's scoring efforts with two goals each. Smithtown West showed resilience, tying the game at 6-6 late in the third quarter with goals from Jolie Schiavo and Ashley Mennella, after trailing 4-2 at halftime and 6-4 with 2:50 left in the third.
With this victory, Garden City improved their season record to 18-2. This championship marks their third Long Island title since 2021, and they have reached the final for five consecutive years. The memory of losing last year's final served as a powerful motivator for the Trojans. "Last year was a shocking ending to all of us," said Tori Ottomanelli. "All the motivation came from last year because we knew we were so much better than how we ended."
Garden City coach Dave Ettinger praised his team's execution on draw controls: "It’s huge. We put a lot of time into it and we have a couple different options to try to win it... when we needed to finish strong with possession, they did an outstanding job of that."
The Trojans now advance to the state Class B Southeast Regional final, scheduled to be played at Lakeland High School in Westchester County at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. However, Garden City is not content with just a regional appearance; their sights are set on a larger prize. "The goals never stop," Ottomanelli stated. "It’s always a state championship and when you play in such a competitive program... you want to shoot for the stars and our end goal is to win a state championship," aiming for the program's first state title since 2017.