Offense fuels Lady Pirates

Mepham needed one win to secure at least a share of the Conference V girls' lacrosse crown, and the road to the top had to go through second-place Sewanhaka last Monday. The Lady Pirates (12-2 overall, 11-0 Conference V) bulldozed right through the roadblocks, scoring six unanswered goals over the final 15 minutes of the first half and cruising past the Lady Indians, 20-13.

"It wasn't like one girl took over," Mepham coach Geraldine O'Brien said of the scoring outburst that helped put the program into the postseason for the third time in its 10-year history.

With the teams tied, 3-3, at the 10-minute mark, the tide began to shift heavily in Mepham's favor. Four different players combined for the half-dozen goals with senior Lauren Johnson and junior Cristina Olson scoring twice. Freshmen Nicole Stackpole and Ashley Appel each scored once to send it into intermission with a commanding 9-3 edge.

Though Sewanhaka scored 25 seconds into the second half, the Lady Pirates scored eight of next 10 goals and opened up their largest lead, 17-6. When the smoke cleared, Johnson, among Nassau's goal-scoring leaders, tallied six with a pair of assists, while Olson added four goals and four assists. Stackpole and junior Alex Giorgos added three goals apiece, and freshman Jessica Gelbwaks had a pair. For Giorgos, the hat trick represented a clear end to a scoring slump that began in early April, as she now has four goals in the last two games.

Appel finished with a goal and a pair of assists against Sewanhaka and junior Jayme Batcher had a goal and an assist. Junior Erin McCarthy, freshman Michelle Olson and sophomore Julie Fithian all had one assist. Senior Teresa White, one of four team captains, started the game on defense but later moved up to attack and registered an assist.

"The girls knew that winning guaranteed a playoff spot and at least a share of the conference [title]," O'Brien said. "They wanted that from the beginning of the season and went for it."

Senior Kathryn DeLauter stopped a career-high 20 shots, the third time in four games she had at least 18 saves. "She's smart in the classroom and smart in net and talks to the defense," O'Brien said.

Senior co-captain Kaitlyn Paolillo anchored the defense with help from sophomore Erin Neuwirth.

Johnson's six goals boosted her season total to 62 along with 24 assists, while Olson's output raised her numbers to 43 goals and 29 assists. What's even more impressive about Johnson's numbers is the fact she's often the No. 1 target of opposing defenses and faces a considerable amount of double teams. Olson, meanwhile, uses her quickness to get to the cage and unleashes what's become a nearly unstoppable low, line-drive shot past goalies.

"There's never been a game [this season] when both have been shut down," O'Brien said.

The Lady Pirates will open the playoffs May 17 against an opponent yet to be determined.