Dramatic win for Oceanside

Oceanside has developed a flare for the dramatic.

A little more than a week after beating Lynbrook with a goal at the final horn, the Lady Sailors pulled off another thriller at the hands of visiting Friends Academy by scoring the tying goal with two seconds remaining in regulation and eventually winning, 16-15, in triple overtime in a Conference II girls’ lacrosse game on April 25.

Freshman Cassie Cesario provided the heroics, forcing overtime and also netting the winner off a pass from junior Sydney Oshinsky just 35 seconds into sudden-death OT. Oceanside (3-3 in conference games, 7-4 overall) trailed 14-11 with less than six minutes remaining before rallying to take the important see-saw battle. Senior Courtney Collins had five goals, Cesario added four goals and two assists, and Oshinsky and Jenna Doherty scored three times.

“This game ranks pretty high in terms of excitement, but last week’s wasn’t too far off,” Lady Sailors coach Ken Dwyer said. “It was one of the more emotional wins we’ve had, and to see the girls storm the field after the winning goal was great. Down the road we could be saying this was the game that got us into the playoffs.”

Oshinsky, who on April 16 scored as time expired to beat Lynbrook, 8-7, found Cesario from the behind the cage for the winner. Doherty put Oceanside ahead in the first of two mandatory three-minute OT periods, but Rose Mangiarotti scored her fifth goal of the day with 31 seconds to go in the second OT to keep Friends alive.

“It was back-and-forth all day,” Dwyer said. “They’re a legit team with some very nice players.”

Friends scored three straight goals to start the second half and led 10-9 after trailing by two at halftime. Doherty pulled Oceanside even, only to have Mangiarotti score 26 seconds later to make it 11-10. Oshinsky re-tied it, but another three-goal spurt put the Lady Quakers in the driver’s seat at 14-11 with 6:40 remaining. “Draw controls were only 20-15 in their favor for the game, but they had a bunch in a row in the second half that helped them go ahead.”

Cesario made it 14-12, but barely more than a minute was left on the clock when senior Erica Brook ripped home a shot to cut the margin to one. Then with time winding down, Collins made a rush downfield and was met by a myriad of defenders. She fed a pass to Cesario, who made a nifty crease roll and fired in the tying goal.

“Courtney always attracts the most attention from a defense,” Dwyer said of Collins, who has 28 goals. “They sealed up the middle, but she got the ball to Cassie and she made a nice move to score.”

With a handful of games remaining and a playoff spot there for the taking, cutting down on turnovers is the main thing Dwyer’s looking for the Lady Sailors to improve. “We have to value every possession,” he said.