Thanks to a sensational second half, Sacred Heart Greenwich’s Varsity A lacrosse team celebrated Senior Day in style before its home crowd on Saturday.

The Tigers turned a one-goal deficit into a five-goal lead by scoring six straight goals during a 10-minute span in the second half of its Senior Day home game against Westhampton Beach High School from Westhampton, N.Y.

Finishing the game with a flurry, Sacred Heart proceeded to post an impressive 10-6 win over visiting Westhampton Beach and extend its winning streak to six games.

With the triumph in their second-to-last home game of their 2023 season, the Tigers moved their record to 11-1.

“It was a great game, we started off a little bit slow, but we pulled it together and I think everyone was playing for each other,” Sacred Heart senior attack/co-captain Kelly Haggerty said. “It was a great celebration.”

Haggerty produced another outstanding performance, scoring a game-high four goals and tallying three assists to pace the Tigers’ offense. Junior midfielder Kaitlin Robinson and sophomore midfielder Charley Bacigalupo each totaled one goal and one assist in the winning effort.

Sacred Heart went into halftime with a 4-3 edge on Westhampton, which scored the first two goals of the second half to go ahead, 5-4. The home team found its form offensively, thereafter, seizing the momentum and control, of the matchup against their formidable out-of-state foe.

“It was a really great game, we had a rocky start, but we pulled it out in the second half,” Tigers senior co-captain/defender Corbin Callaway said. “Winning on Senior Day is the icing on the cake.”

Senior attack Karina Sethi, junior midfielder Payton Sfreddo, sophomore midfielder Daphne Fallon and junior midfielder Maggie Bacigalupo registered one goal apiece for SHG, which received five saves from senior Laura O’Connor.

“We hadn’t played a game in 10 days and we definitely felt the impact in that,” Sacred Heart co-head coach Sharon Robinson said. “But with that said, the defense caused turnovers for us and they kept us in the game long enough for the attack to come alive and we came out with a big win.”

Westhampton, which has a record of 9-5, tied the score by tallying at the 18:24 mark of the second half. The visitors took a 5-4 lead with a goal with 16:54 remaining in the second half, but the Tigers evened the score when Haggerty scored off a pass from senior attack Mackenzie Coleman. Coleman was also a key playmaker, finishing the Senior Day matchup with three assists.

Sethi, who has helped spark the Tigers’ attack all season, gave the hosts the lead for good at 6-5 with a goal at the 13:49 mark of the second half. Goals from Robinson and Sfreddo made it 8-5, then Haggerty capped her four-goal game by scoring with 7:59 left to play, increasing Sacred Heart’s advantage to 9-5.

“We really started connecting and we were breaking down their defense and we worked for the best opportunity,” Haggerty said of the Tigers’ effective offensive showing in the second half.

Maggie Bacigalupo sealed the Tigers’ scoring with 5:10 to go in the second half, concluding a solid Senior Day win. Charley Bacigalupo scored Sacred Heart’s first goal of the game off a pass from Haggerty.

Fallon tallied off an assist from Charley Bacigalupo and Haggerty scooped up a ground ball and scored in the opening half, giving SHG a 3-2 edge. Haggerty’s goal off a strong drive toward the goal, made it 4-2 with 15:07 remaining in the opening half.

Sacred Heart’s defense ignited by Callaway, senior Maggie Sullivan, junior Olivia Leahy, junior Ava Lillis, limited Westhampton to three goals in each half.

“Our defense played fantastic we found a groove in the second half and were able to get a big win,” said O’Connor, a senior, who is in her fifth season on the Varsity A squad.

“Today really proved what type of team we really are. We bounced back and did what we needed to do to win,” Callaway said.

Sfreddo caused three turnovers and gathered four ground balls for Sacred Heart which visits Loomis Chaffee School on Wednesday, before hosting Taft School on Saturday.

The seniors Sacred Heart honored on Senior Day included: Callaway, Olivia Caponiti, Coleman, Haggerty, O’Connor, Sethi and Sullivan. A four-year varsity player, Haggerty will continue her lacrosse career at Fairfield University.

Sethi, a three-year varsity player, will play lacrosse next season at the University of Vermont. Sullivan will further her lacrosse career at Colgate University, while Callaway, a four-year varsity player, will play the sport at Bucknell University.

Coleman will compete on the lacrosse team next season at Elon University, Caponiti will play field hockey at Princeton University and O’Connor will continue her lacrosse career at Yale University.

“This is the culmination of my five years on the team and I’m so happy to celebrate with these girls, all of my teammates and friends,” O’Connor said. “Every year goes by quicker. I am excited for our team, we had such a great season this year and it’s not over yet.”

“We just want to make the most of our time left as seniors, leave on a high note and leave the program better than when we found it a few years ago,” O’Connor continued.

Callaway reflected on the seasons she’s spent playing for SHG.

“I can’t express how thankful I am to be a part of this program and be on this team for four years,” she said. “I’m going to miss them a lot next year. This is hard to say goodbye to. But I’m so thankful for everything I have learned and how I’ve grown as a player and a person on this team.”

Said Haggerty: “It’s been amazing, all of my three years on the team. It’s bittersweet that it’s ending, but I’m so proud of our team and how far we’ve come.”