Shoreham-Wading River's four captains huddled together, the county championship plaque hoisted high in the air as they smiled and screamed at the cheering fans at Patchogue-Medford High School. For the four captains -- Kaitlyn Brosco, Chelsea Creta, Emily Pflumm and Erin McMullan -- were celebrating a third straight title, this one coming via a 2-0 victory against Miller Place.

For Brosco, the championship was the seventh of her career when combined with her success on the Shoreham lacrosse team, an astounding feat few players can match.

"I would say it's just luck, but both my teams work so hard," Brosco said. "I know the seniors have been dedicating hours upon hours. After practices we go running sometimes together. They know they have their eye on the prize at the end."

The Wildcats now get a chance for a prize that has thus far eluded them: the Long Island championship. For the third straight year the Wildcats will face Garden City. The Trojans, coming off a nearly unfathomable 16th straight Nassau County title, will travel to Stony Brook University Saturday for an 11 a.m. matchup with the Wildcats, the first game of a championship triple-header.

"It's always a physical and rough game, but the girls keep it in the back of their mind each season, so we'll see how it goes," Brosco said.

It took a total effort for the Wildcats to get past a talented Panthers team. The Panthers outplayed the Wildcats in the first half, but couldn't turn it into a goal. Shoreham coach Lea Calligeros said it could have been a 3-0 Miller Place lead.

Given new life in the second half, the Wildcats controlled the ball much better and capitalized on a penalty corner when Cali Lavey scored with 27:28 left in the half. Debi-Michelle Jantzen added the insurance goal in the final minutes on a penalty stroke, her second straight year with a penalty stroke goal in the county finals.

"It probably hasn't even sunk in yet," Calligeros said, her voice hoarse. "I thought about it this morning and I'm glad the kids played well. I didn't want to finish the season playing soft. We came out and I thought we played a great second half."

The Wildcats remain perfect on the season at 18-0 and swept all three games from the Panthers (14-4). Shoreham has won 10 of 11 against Miller Place since 2006, the year after the Panthers beat the Wildcats in the county finals.

Shoreham and Miller Place have now accounted for five of the last six county titles in field hockey.

The Panthers, the No. 2 seed, were left with the same empty feeling as their season ended against Shoreham for the third straight season.

"I think they're upset that they lost, but I think they're more upset about the whole togetherness and the family and not seeing each other every day," said Miller Place coach Alana LaMorte. "I know that's going to be tough for them."

A team with 10 seniors, the Panthers played Shoreham as tough as any team this season, but still couldn't get over the hump. Shoreham's defense, anchored by McMullan in the cage, proved too tough to get past.

The Panthers received a penalty stroke in the first half and LaMorte went with Mary Moore, who has been their go-to player on strokes all year.

But McMullan came up with a pad save on the shot to her left to keep the game scoreless.

LaMorte said Moore shot the opposite direction she normally shoots.

"I think that was a good decision in switching it up because we have gone to strokes with them," she said. "It just wasn't our day today."

The Wildcats grabbed the lead on a play that started with Kristin Torres on a corner. Her pass came out of the shooting circle where Kaitlyn Taddeo made a sliding hit to send the ball in front of the cage where Lavey shot it to the left of Miller Place goalie Maria Failla.

The Wildcats hung on to the one-goal lead until the final minutes, when a free hit by Jantzen in Miller Place territory started a Shoreham breakaway. Taddeo caught up to the ball just past midfield, beat one Miller Place defender, then another, with nothing but daylight ahead. Moore gave chase for the Panthers and finally dove in a last-ditch effort to slow down Taddeo. But the play resulted in a penalty stroke for the Wildcats and Jantzen came through with the goal inside the right of the cage.

"I think she composed herself well," Calligeros said.

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