{"id":116488,"date":"2023-05-31T11:23:50","date_gmt":"2023-05-31T15:23:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/riverheadnewsreview.timesreview.com\/?p=116488"},"modified":"2023-05-31T11:23:53","modified_gmt":"2023-05-31T15:23:53","slug":"wildcats-advance-long-island-championships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/riverheadnewsreview.timesreview.com\/2023\/05\/116488\/wildcats-advance-long-island-championships\/","title":{"rendered":"Wildcats are Suffolk County champs!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For the first time since 2019, the Shoreham-Wading River boys lacrosse team has been crowned Suffolk County Class C Champions with a 10-7 victory over the No. 1 seed Mount Sinai Tuesday afternoon. It was a classic David vs. Goliath moment at Stony Brook University\u2019s Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enter Mount Sinai, the Goliath \u2013 winners of Suffolk County\u2019s Division II and No. 1 Class C playoff seed, a perennially ranked national lacrosse powerhouse, reigning Suffolk County Class C champions with a spotless 17-0 record coming into the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then there\u2019s the Wildcats<\/a> \u2014 a team that snuck into third place after losing four games in a row during a mid-season rough patch. A team that always had the talent but was missing an identity. A team that lost on this very field last season, 16-5 against Mount Sinai. The cards were stacked against them. But their will to win, their desire to be great and their ability to play as one bled through their veins as it was David that eventually emerged victorious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The team gathered by the goal pregame, forming a circle so tight, there was no space to breathe. Captains mouthed off to their team, urging them to stay focused, stick to the game plan and most importantly, have fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe just made it known that we\u2019re a family, no matter what,\u201d senior captain Alec Gregorek said. \u201cThat we want it more than them. That if we all did our part, we would come out with a win.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emerging out of the huddle, roars echoed through the stadium as the Wildcats were hyped, carrying that emotion into the opening minutes of the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe goal was to get out in front early, keep the momentum our way and keep the ball as much as we could,\u201d SWR head coach Mike Taylor said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part of the Wildcats\u2019 struggles in their losing streak was getting off to a slow start. To get behind against a dominant team like Mount Sinai would have been a death sentence. But to their credit, SWR landed the first punch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alec Gregorek broke through with the team\u2019s first goal of the game just over a minute into the game and Liam Kershis followed 30 seconds after with a goal of his own. Kershis would later score again to make it 3-0 after the first quarter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was a great win last week but it wasn\u2019t enough for us,\u201d Kershis said. \u201cThere\u2019s so many hard working guys on this team. I wasn\u2019t ready for this season to end. Nobody was.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n