Sophomore Kennedy Murnane had three of her team-leading 48 goals in the Red Devils’ big 9-7 win over Port Washington. Erik Lee/Herald
The Plainedge girls lacrosse team entered its regular-season finale with a chance to secure a share of the Conference II title.
But the Red Devils fell just short, losing at Seaford, 7-6, May 7.
It was a bitter defeat. And the best thing that could have happened for Plainedge.
“We’ve had three losses, and every time after those losses was like absolute fire,” first- year Plainedge coach Julianna Keenan said. “I think this is exactly the fire we needed, and now they’re just ready to go.”
The Red Devils (10-4) earned the No. 6 seed in the Nassau Class C playoffs and will take on third-seeded Lynbrook in the first round. A Plainedge could potentially set up a showdown with second-seeded Wantagh in the semifinals.
“I’d rather us lose this game like this and face that adversity we had in that game, and now we can work on it and be prepared for the next game,” Keenan said. “Every game after this is going to be just like that or more difficult. We got to see that environment, and now we know exactly what we need to do and use that fire again for the postseason.”
A 9-7 win over Port Washington on April 18 gave the Red Devils confidence they could compete against any team in the county. In that win, junior Peyton Wise paced Plainedge with four goals. Sophomore Kennedy Murnane, a St. Anthony’s transfer, added three goals and one assist.
That dynamic duo has paced the Red Devils’ attack, combining for 93 goals and 31 assists. Murnane has 48 goals; Wise 45.
“Peyton is the leader and the one who sets the tone and is just the hardest-working attacker. Her ride is fantastic. She does anything you ever want and always draws the attention of the whole defense, so it frees up everything else,” Keenan said. “When Kennedy’s on, no one can stop her. It’s all in her control. She goes 100 percent, she can dodge any way she wants. She can feed anyway she can.”
Source: Massapequa Post
