Game Preview: West Islip vs. Ithaca

West Islip’s drive for five is very much alive.

On Saturday the Lions (20-1) face the Ithaca Little Red (18-1) for the New York State Class A Boys Lacrosse Championship. A win would give West Islip its fifth state title over the past seven years. The game is set for 1:30 p.m. at Middletown High School.

Through its five playoff games, defense has been the focal point for West Islip as the team has allowed a total 24 goals against some of the best lacrosse talent in Long Island and New York.

Most impressive was the Lions win over Wednesday. Coming into the state semi-final at Hofstra, the Silver Warriors were averaging more than 17 goals per game, but were held to only six by West Islip.

In addition, the Lions held to four goals in the Long Island title game, after the Braves scored 14 goals against Massapequa in the Nassau championship game.

Ithaca returns to the Class A title game for the second straight year looking to avenge a heartbreaking 12-11 overtime loss to Farmingdale in 2011. in last year’s Long Island Championship game on its way to the state championship.

During its playoff run, Ithaca defeated Liverpool 18-8 in the regional finals and won a close battle against Fairport 11-9 on Wednesday.