Click here for Greater Long Island newsletters. Click here to download the iPhone app. Or follow Greater Huntington on Instagram.
Undefeated. Unstoppable. Undeniable.
All words to describe the St. Anthony’s girls varsity lacrosse team.
And for the second straight season the Friars finish as the undisputed number one ranked team in the country, according to USA Lacrosse.
St. Anthony’s went a perfect 17-0 this year and has now won 48 straight games dating back to 2023. Led by head coach Darcy Messina, the squad capped off their season with a dominant 16-2 win over St. Dominic on May 17 to claim their sixth consecutive CHSAA Class AA championship.
All-American senior midfielder Molly Hiney, of Shoreham, knows how special this run has been.
“It’s truly amazing,” Hiney, a senior, told Greater Long Island. “There’s no other high school team like this one. We’re so lucky to be surrounded by great players every day regardless if they are starting or on the bench.
“It’s all behind the scenes, the little things that make us who we are.”
Who they are is the team that everyone else wants to beat.
They know they have a target on their back each and every game, but Hiney says the ladies are always ready for the challenge.
“It doesn’t matter who we play,” she said. “We are just going to play our way. Our saying is play the S-A way.”
It’s obviously worked against a very tough schedule. During this two-year unbeaten streak, the Friars have taken down several nationally ranked teams, including state champions from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
And while you will never hear the girls brag about their achievements, All-American senior Julia May O’Connor told Greater Long Island she believes a message has been sent to every other program in the country.
“I mean, every team is scared to play us, right?” she said.
It won’t get any easier for opponents next year, as there is already a strong foundation in place for 2026.
The Friars will be bringing back 19 players who have already committed to D1 or D2 colleges.
Top: St. Anthony’s girls varsity lacrosse team after winning the CHSAA Class AA championship. (Photo credit: Tyler Cresser)
