Lady Sailors valiant in defeat

Every loss hurts, especially when that loss ends your season. But there are some losses, even ones that end seasons, that don’t sting quite as badly as some others. Some losses can be accepted as badges of honor. The Oceanside girls lacrosse team’s 14-2 loss to Farmingdale in the semifinal round of the Nassau County Class A playoffs was such a loss.

“It’s the best experience I’ve had in 13 years here,” coach Ken Dwyer said afterwards, and not just because the Lady Sailors played much better than the score would indicate against one of Long Island’s top teams and trailed just 6-2 at the half. The real reason Dwyer was so proud of his team is everything that came before its playoff defeat.

The Lady Sailors started the season 2-5. Instead of playing out the string, they came to life and won seven of their next eight and made the playoffs. Along the way, Dwyer saw his team grow up and grow as one.

“People grew into their roles,” he said of their turnaround. “Our leaders stepped up and our role players did too.”

Jessica Maxwell established herself as one of the best goalies in the county, playing her best in big games. Annie Intrabartola became a vocal leader of a defense that started to click midway through the year. Stephanie Keane became a catalyst on both ends of the field. Danielle Montano caught fire and scored 50 goals, despite playing through nagging injuries. Courtney Collins, a junior, added 26 goals and 17 assists. Erica Brook, Kaitlyn Barille, Heather Burns, Danielle D’Angelo, Kelly Backus, Kayla Flynn, Sydney Oshinsky, Amanda Rizzo and Laura Raimondo all contributed nicely. And Shannon McGuinness kept it all together, giving the team anything it needed.

“She did the little things for us,” Dwyer said of McGuinness. “Things that don’t necessarily get a lot of attention. She’d pick up a ground ball or set up our offense. She’s really just a solid player.