Northport boys lacrosse wards off disaster
Northport blows early lead, comes back to win in OT on Valenti Goal
The Northport Tigers boys lacrosse blew a first half four goal lead but came back to beat their most hated rival — the Ward Melville Patriots -— in double overtime 7-6 on May 9.
Midfielder Giancarlo Valenti got the sudden death tally with 30 seconds to go in the second overtime session.
Northport led 3-0 after one quarter and 4-1 at halftime, but Ward kept chipping away — and the Patriots finally overtook the Tigers with 2:12 left to go in the third quarter when Patriot midfielder Brody Morgan put Ward Melville ahead 5-4.
Northport was still down by one goal with less than a minute to go when freshman Luke Loiacono swooped around the net of goalkeeper Charles Giachetti and flicked it past Giachetti from point-blank range for the tying goal with less than 30 seconds remaining in regulation.
Giachetti made several sparking saves for the Patriots in the first four-minute sudden death overtime period — one in particular on a rising rip at close range by Jack Deliberti.
Valenti would end it with 34 ticks left in OT number two when he collected the rebound of a Deliberti shot and fired one past Giachettii from about 20 yards away. Valenti’s Tiger teammates mobbed him behind the net in celebration.
Northport (11-3) and Ward Melville (12-2) are set to face off again in the second round of the playoffs if they can both win their opening games. The Tigers will face Half Hollow Hills on Saturday, May 20, and the Patriots will face the winner of Bay Shore and Longwood, who played each other in a qualifying match on Wednesday after press time. That game is also on Saturday.
