Going into the showdown with Bayport-Blue Point, Sayville was 5-0 for the season.

“BBP is the defending state champions, they were the toughest to play,” said coach Gary Jensen, who had previously served the BBP district before coming to Sayville this year.

“We have a fantastic assistant coach, Courtney Weeks, who is from Bayport,” said Jensen.

Putting in the extra work has been the top priority for Sayville’s lacrosse program with a cohesive coaching leadership from the middle school, junior varsity, and varsity teams.

“There’s a lot of communication between coaches, our motto is ‘we are one’ and it’s a one group approach and the kids have really taken to that,” said Jensen.

Echoing her coach was senior Mckenna Farrell, who plays attack. “ ‘Together we are one’ has been the quote of this season. I believe this truly showed in our huge win against Bayport. This team is so special.”

In addition, patience, both offensively and defensively has been a major tenet put forth by Jensen and his colleagues.

While the season officially started in mid-March, players began practicing in November.

A winter league was held where leading players from all over Suffolk County took part, which also bolstered Sayville’s performance.

“That got us on the right track for figuring things out,” said Jensen.

Practices in the fall were typically held twice a week and now that the season is in full swing, many players have been putting in extra time to watch video of their performance to pinpoint where additional training is necessary and also the strategies of upcoming opponents.

“We are doing everything it takes to get to the next level,” said Jensen. “The league is so strong, you could get beat by anyone. We have to show up at every game and execute.”

Although Sayville was ranked third in the pre-season, Jensen said that the remaining teams were still quite formidable with tight margins on the rankings.

“When very good teams play each other, it’s rarely a high-scoring game. This came down to one goal,” said Jensen.

Sayville had an amazing 100 percent rating in this game with BBP with all nine shots on goal succeeding.

“The kids were unbelievably patient; every time they had the best look, they got it in. When you’re really good at playing, those openings are not there long. We showed amazing maturity with that decision-making and our goalie, Julia Rowenthal, had four big saves during the game,” said Jensen.

“Bayport has an outstanding draw taker in Ava Meyn. We only won 28 percent of the draws,” said Jensen.

With eight seniors, five juniors, six sophomores, and two freshmen, Jensen said that despite the stellar record and ranking, that the team still had potential to tap into, but is confident they will do so.

“The bond that we all have with each other is so special and I truly believe it will lead to future successes. The win over Bayport just shows the potential we have for the rest of the season. I’m so grateful to be a part of this program!” said senior Delaney Lutz, who plays defense.

Another factor for the team’s success is the devoted parents, who Jensen said “have been fantastic and so supportive.”

“The booster club has planned so many fundraisers and we have the Livingston family sponsor the team and get the whole team shooting shirts,” said Jensen.

“I love being part of the Sayville girls lacrosse team because we push each other to be the best we can be both, on and off the field. Between our seniors and new coaching staff, we have great leadership and role models, and the new team motto, ‘We Are One,’ sets a great tone,” said junior Lucy Livingston, who plays defense.