Big finish for Lady Owls

Senior Shannon Doody and junior Nicole Pataky scored four goals apiece to lift Lynbrook to a 12-8 victory over East Meadow in a Nassau Conference III girls’ lacrosse game on May 13.

It was the seventh win in the last eight games for the Lady Owls, who completed the regular season with  a record of 11-4, including 5-3 against conference rivals. They drew Jericho in the first round of the Class B playoff tournament.

“We had a very young team last year and learned a lot,” Lynbrook coach Vinny Tetro said. “We came into the season with high expectations and have been able to find ways to come out on top in every close game but one. We’re the type of team that gets stronger as the game goes on.”

It didn’t take long for Lynbrook to flex its offensive muscle, busting out of the gate with 16 goals in each of its first two games. The unit held up over the long haul, too, averaging 12.5 per game. 

After a strong finish in 2009 that included an amazing nine-point performance (five goals, four assists) in a playoff win over Bethpage, Pataky picked up where she left off and enjoyed a breakout year as part of a consistent attack. She had 51 regular-season goals and added 15 assists for a team-high 66 points. She scored seven times in non-league wins over Plainview-JFK and Island Trees. “It was something I knew she was capable of,” Tetro said. “She works hard and has great skills.”

Another junior, Julie Wigand, quarterbacked the offense from behind the cage and netted 25 goals and 16 assists. “She distributes well and can also score,” Tetro said of Wigand, who scored the decisive goal in an 8-7 non-league win over Oceanside, a Conference II team.

Sophomore Kasey Carter is another key cog on attack. Most of her 26 goals were the result of tremendous shooting ability, Tetro said. “Kasey’s accuracy is excellent,” he said.

Doody does it all from the midfield, be it offensively (36 goals, 17 assists) or by defending an opponent’s top offensive threat. “Shannon’s an amazing athlete,” Tetro said. “She plays hard all the time and wants the ball in pressure situations.” Sophomores Carrie Feltkamp (14 goals) and Marykate Regan (nine) and senior Samantha Winakor (10) played key roles in transition from the midfield.

The defense overcame injuries to juniors Meghan McCarthy and Jessica Valentino, thanks in large part to junior Jill Chyriwski and freshmen call-ups Taylor Simeone and Olivia Cohn. 

In goal, senior Mary Magilligan proved one of the best in the conference at the position, totaling 140 saves. Her busiest game came April 30 when she made 17 saves in a wild 16-15 win at Floral Park. “Mary’s a force in the net, and she kept us in every game,” Tetro said. “She’s incredible at stopping shots from close range.”