The Seaford girls lacrosse team is two wins from a Nassau County Class C title but a stiff test awaits the Lady Vikings in the semifinals Thursday.
Third-seeded Seaford (12-4) will face second-seeded North Shore (12-3), who gave the the Vikings one of their few defeats in the regular season, on Thursday at Adelphi University for the right to play for a county championship. In the teams' lone meeting this season, North Shore posted a 20-12 victory at Seaford on April 21 in which the Viking fell behind 13-5 at halftime. North shore also last year in the semis.
Seaford reached the semifinal stage of the county playoffs with a convincing 20-14 win against Island Trees last Wednesday in the quarterfinal round that featured seven goals from sophomore Emma Schait and six tallies by senior Cortland-bound attacker Amelia Taylor. The offensive production by Taylor and Schait in the playoff opener has typified Seaford's success in 2012 of getting production from veterans and younger players.
"We have done a nice job balancing our senior leadership with younger players," said Seaford girls lacrosse head coach Kurt Dankerbrink.
In addition to Taylor, other seniors who have stepped up for the Lady Vikings have been Limestone-bound goalie Diana Rice, Saint Leo's-bound Jessica Torrent, Carolyn Lo Strappo and Jacklyn DelPozzo. Dankerbrink said the focus since the preseason has been focusing on "team" and he has been happy with how the seniors have stepped up their play on and off the field leading the younger players.
"When it comes to the playoffs you need your younger players to step up because it might be their last game," he said.
The Seaford-North Shore semifinal game is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday at Adelphi's Motamed Field. If Seaford wins it would face the winner of the other semifinal between Cold Spring Harbor and Locust Valley in the Nassau County Class C title game on May 30 at Adelphi.
