Garden City Girls Lacrosse Falls

Two of the premier girls lacrosse teams in the nation -- each ranked No. 1 in the state in their respective class -- collided Wednesday.

And it was a sudden impact. St. Anthony's scored the game's first three goals and never looked back in an 11-6 win over visiting Garden City in a non-league showdown. 
 
Senior midfield Maggie Bill, a four-year starter and North Carolina recruit, scored four goals and added an assist to power the Friars. 

Her goal with 13:42 left in the opening half put St. Anthony's ahead 6-2.

Related: Game Photos

Garden City (11-1), No. 1 in the state Class B rankings and fifth nationally, scored three times in the second half after trailing 9-3. Six different players scored for the Trojans. 

“When you have two of the best teams on the Island, this is a great way to have your team try and get better,” Garden City Coach Diane Chapman said. “What a great game to get you ready for the postseason.”  

Garden City faces Shoreham-Wading River Saturday in a non-league regular season finale.

It's the third straight year the two Long Island powers have met. Garden City won the first in 2011.

"It's only been a few years but I think it's a rivalry because we know what a great team they are," St. Anthony's Coach Corinne Lomangino said. 

St. Anthony's (11-1) knocked off national No. 2 St. Stephen's and St. Agnes (Va.) two weeks ago. Now the Friars are No. 1 in the state Class A rankings and ninth nationally.