Arcangela Haffner's four goals help Garden City win their 5th consecutive Class B championship

By Owen O’Brien (Newsday)

If you told Garden City senior attack Arcangela Haffner before the season that she’d be the team’s leading scorer and tally four goals in a county final, she would have had doubts. Not because she doesn’t have confidence in herself, but the way Garden City plays is focused on benefiting the team rather than an individual like Haffner.

But on Wednesday, Haffner assumed the leading role. The senior scored four goals as top-seeded Garden City defeated No. 2 Manhasset, 13-9, in the girls lacrosse Nassau Class B championship at Adelphi as the Trojans won their fifth straight Nassau Class B title.

“I probably would not believe that,” Haffner said. “Our offense just works so well together, it benefits each other and finding each other. Overall, we just play together. No one is selfish on or off the ball, and it’s a lot of fun to see it all together.”

Haffner matched her season goal total from last year on Wednesday alone as her junior season was partly derailed by injury. The fact that her final county championship performance came against Manhasset added to the personal satisfaction.

“Manhasset’s been our rival since we were little,” Haffner said. “I remember going to games in fifth grade and watching them play and I think just being ready physically and mentally was so important in this game.”

Garden City (17-2) plays the winner of Harborfields/Smithtown West in the Long Island Class B championship in a state Class B subregional at Adelphi on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. Manhasset finished 14-5.

“Every day we talk about it,” said senior goalie Kate Connolly, who made six saves including multiple point-blank stops early in the contest. “We say, ‘Remember that someone is always gunning for you. You’re wearing Garden City, someone’s always gunning for you,’ and that’s just the mindset we had.”

Kimberly Colucci added two goals and three assists, Deanna Prisco and Ashley Clark each had two goals and Averie Smith had a goal and two assists in the win.

Garden City scored six of the game’s first seven goals and opened an 8-3 halftime lead. The Trojans led by at least four goals the remainder of the contest.

“We talked about starting strong and I think we did and you need that,” coach Dave Ettinger said. “It gives us confidence, but [Manhasset] fought back, which we knew they were going to. I’m proud of our girls for how they withstood the punch back.”

Wednesday’s final had a little more meaning on both sides with Garden City vs. Manhasset dubbed the “Woodstick Classic,” which is considered the longest running public-school lacrosse rivalry in the nation on the boys side. The girls programs also play yearly, often in county finals, as they’ve combined to win 19 of 20 Nassau Class B titles in history.

Manhasset played in Class C the previous years and this was their first meeting in a county final since 2019.

Garden City returns to the Long Island championship, where its season ended last year. The Trojans haven’t forgotten that feeling of finality, but they are confident this year could end differently.

“I think we have a little PTSD from last year,” Haffner said, “but I think we’ll be ready. And hopefully this time, we’ll take it all the way.”

“We really want it this year,” Connolly said. “We don’t want to go out like we did last year. We want to bring it home.” Colucci added the program’s winning history always adds a motivator as well.

“I think it’s just the Garden City tradition,” Colucci said. “It’s the Garden City standard. You’re playing for such a [successful] program and it’s just the standard. And I think meeting the standard every year is what’s important.”