Southampton - Westhampton Head Coach Ralph Pepe won't hide what he believes has been made apparent. In his years coaching at the youth, high school and collegiate levels, this year's Hurricanes will stand out for their work ethic.

"This team's not overly talented," he said, "but it's very workmanlike."

Nick Deleo and Westhampton face three strong opponents in the next two weeks, including a matchup at Kings Park on Tuesday.

The latter term is quite a compliment - workmanlike. The Hurricanes aren't about flash or pushing 20 in the goals column. They're a blue-collar squad, apt to outwork their opponents at the very least. With three games remaining on the schedule, they are who they are, and the grind-it-out style is what they'll use to make their final push toward the playoffs.

Competing for nine spots in the Class B bracket, Westhampton ranked 12th and 15th overall in Division II heading into Friday's action. With little and possibly zero room for error the rest of the season, the Hurricanes took care of business in emphatic fashion, taking a seven-goal lead at halftime en route to a 17-3 triumph over nearby Southampton.

The 'Canes are hanging their hats on victories over Harborfields and John Glenn, each of which is jockeying for playoff position itself. The team's ledger is down to three games, including a meeting with Kings Park – currently seeded eighth in Class B - on Tuesday. A win there and Westhampton has a chance to close out its season on a roll at home against Deer Park and Bayport-Blue Point.

"I think if we can continue to work hard, hopefully we have a chance," Pepe said. "If we have a chance, that's all you can ask for. I'm very happy. It's a great bunch of kids, they practice hard and have given me everything they have."

Kevin Sabo, who will attend Dowling this fall, leads the team in goals and chalked up a five in taking out Southampton, a score shy of his six-goal effort in a tight win over North Babylon. Leads like the 9-2 edge on Friday aren't typical for the battle-tested Canes; four of their eight wins have come by a combined five goals. Nailbiters are sure to be on the horizon, whether it's the regular season or postseason.

Southampton's Patrick Tuths (left) and Christian Feinberg lower their sticks and try to scoop up a ground ball.

Against Southampton, though, the offense was fluid, possessing the ball for long durations and making the Mariners pay for their mistakes. Marco Pizzo and Vance Schindler also had hat tricks for Westhampton. That his team built a sizable lead, Pepe was able to utilize his bench, including eighth grader Brian Corrigan, who had the rare trio of a goal, assist and two saves between the pipes. It was a microcosm of the season, a total team effort, from Cory Hubbard and Tom Sanna splitting time in the cage to solid goal distribution among the forwards and midfielders.

Kevin Sabo's five goals against Southampton were one shy of his season high of six, scored earlier this year against North Babylon.

They'll use most or all the players on the rosters for the home stretch. "If we play the way we play and get to the fourth quarter, we have a chance to win games," Pepe said.

It's been four years since the Hurricanes last qualified for postseason play. Advancing their cause on Long Island, arguably the hottest of lacrosse hotbeds on the planet, is no easy task. Westhampton has found that to be true, as has Southampton.

"Everybody has to start somewhere," Pepe said. "How you play is what I look for – play hard, keep playing, play clean. The ability takes a while, with the youth programs, and I know Brian's heavily involved in that. Lacrosse isn't like any other game on Long Island. The top players are still coming from Long Island. It takes a big commitment."

There has been no shortage of dedication for this wave of Hurricanes. In just over a week's time they'll learn whether the hard work will pay off with an extended season.

"[The playoffs] is why everybody goes out there," Pepe said. "We've had a very wet spring, and I think we've had one day off of practice and we've only gone inside one day. Every day we're out in the rain, every day we've been in the mud. My guys, they want to keep playing. It would be great to make the playoffs. It's an accomplishment and all that but they want to keep playing because they like playing with each other."

Eighth grader Brian Corrigan of Westhampton tallied a goal, an assist and two saves in net while gaining valuable experience at the varsity level.