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Fast start for Lady Owls
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Senior Shannon Doody, who has two goals and seven assists, is a big reason why Lynbrook raced out of the gate with four wins in its first five games.
Jeff Wilson/Herald
What a difference a year makes. In 2008, the Lady Owls had the task of trying to defend a girls’ soccer conference title with a relatively young team. Lynbrook was winless in its first four games, and was hit hard by the injury bug. The end result was a disappointing 4-3-7 season.
After a convincing 6-3 win at Long Beach on Sept. 22, the senior-laden Lady Owls were off to a perfect 4-0 start. Seniors Bernadette Wyndam and Missy Tischler each scored a pair of goals, and Shannon Doody assisted on three tallies to lead the way over the Lady Marines. Lynbrook followed with a loss to Friends Academy last Friday to end its streak at four.
Head coach Jen Dankenbrink likes what she has seen from her team thus far. “Coming into the season, I wasn’t sure what to expect,” Dankenbrink said. “The girls worked hard all summer, and came in prepared to have a good year.”
Lynbrook’s offensive attack has been outstanding. Paced by tri-captains Doody, Wyndam and Tischler, the Lady Owls are averaging nearly four goals per contest. Tischler leads the team with seven goals, Wyndam has six, and Doody, an All-County performer as a junior, has two goals and seven assists on the year. All three are playing new positions.
Dankenbrink believes the new roles have been the key to Lynbrook’s offensive prowess. “The girls have terrific chemistry,” Dankenbrink said. “They work extremely well together, and have a knack for knowing where to find each other on the field. They’ve adjusted very well to the new positions.”
Junior defensive center-midfielder Mariel Messilaty, a second-year varsity player, has done a solid job for the Lady Owls. Messilaty usually marks the best player on the opposing team. On the left side, freshman Katie Loonie has been one of Lynbrook’s top newcomers.
Sophomore Sam Greenberg, who is due to return to the lineup shortly after battling an illness, is a solid two-way player at right side midfield. Juniors Julie Wigand and Meghan McCarthy, and sophomore Megan Lolacono have all done an admirable job filling in for Greenberg.
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