Field hockey playoffs: Riverhead makes history, knocks off Sachem North, 2-1

Correction appended.

With a dab into an inkwell, Riverhead’s field hockey team can pen their names in history.

By knocking off No. 8 Sachem North in the first round of the Class A playoffs on Saturday, Riverhead accomplished something it hadn’t done in 30 years  — win a playoff game.

A game that was forced into a 7v7 sudden death overtime, saw Danni Napoli connect with Katie Mckillop on a goal that sent No. 9 Riverhead into the second round of the playoffs, winning 2-1.

“Napoli sent it across and Mckillop was just right there on goal and she just touched it right in the goal,” head coach Cheryl Walsh-Edwards said.

“It was complete chaos after that,” she said. “We broke out in celebration.”

Every practice, every drill, every rep finally came to fruition.  A regular season that couldn’t have ended more devastatingly, suddenly turned golden.

Riverhead’s first goal was scored 14 minutes into the game on a penalty corner “executed perfectly” by Amanda Dickerson off an assist by Maria Dillingham.

“You have to anticipate so many things on a corner,” Walsh-Edwards said. “You have your flyer, your trail, there’s just so many things that can happen. There’s so many ways it can breakdown and it starts with the insert. The inserter has to place it right where they’re supposed to and if that doesn’t happen you have to take what they’re giving you.”

When executed perfectly, results happen. And the more opportunities you get to execute the better. Riverhead had 15 penalty corners to the Sachem North’s 9.

A main component of Walsh-Edwards’ game plan was to try to “hound” and shut down Sachem North’s best player, Gabriella Lorenzo.  She’s ranked second in Suffolk County in points with 15 goals and 11 assists.  Marissa Palermo and Emily Pearce kept Lorenzo off the board.

Kaitlyn Baudille scored the lone goal for Sachem North to force overtime.

The defense played exceptionally well, Walsh-Edwards said. She was especially impressed with what freshman Kimberlyn Liggon has grown into this year.

“I wish I could mention everyone of my players because they really did a nice job but Kimberlyn Liggon did a really nice job,” Walsh-Edwards said. “She’s stepped up as a freshman and has been starting all season. She just gets so low it’s hard to get by her. She’s just worked so hard, she’s come so far to just be a freshman and I really feel at certain times she really made a difference out there today. She went to the ball, she got it, she carried it flat, she did exactly what she needed to do for us to win.”

Walsh-Edwards treated the girls to pizza after the win.  A party just isn’t a party without pizza.

Now the preparation turns to round two of the playoffs.  Riverhead will play No. 1 Sachem East on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m.

“I’ve seen seen them play in the past,” Walsh-Edwards said. “They’re just great all-around field hockey players and they have a whole team of them. They pass the ball well and everybody is always at the right spot at the right time. So we just have have to look at what are the little things we have to work on and we have to keep our momentum going and keep supporting one another.”

The book isn’t closed just yet. Only a page was written.

History was made Saturday. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be made again Tuesday.

 Correction: As originally published, this story incorrectly stated that this was the first-ever win for Riverhead field hockey. Riverhead scored an upset victory against Miller Place in 1984, and went on to face Babylon in the county class B finals, but lost the county game.