By:Joshua Casper
Pastuch, of Merrick, who earned the Computer Associates-Nassau County Sports Commission Outstanding High School Athlete Award, will head this fall to the University of Connecticut, where she earned a three-quarters academic-athletic scholarship and will play lacrosse for the formidable UConn Huskies.
Playing for the Huskies is a dream realized for Pastuch, whose quiet, kind and giving nature belies her dominating presence on the field. Around Calhoun, Pastuch also had an unofficial title: "designated driver." She didn't drink at all.
And while lacrosse has been her forte, she also played soccer and basketball for Calhoun, and earned the 2004 Nassau County Sportsmanship Award.
"I just love sports," said Pastuch. "I don't know what it is. I love being able to run around, kick a ball, catch, and I love crunch time. When the game is on the line, I want the ball in my hands."
Pastuch loved sports from a young age, excelling in basketball, soccer and softball as a child. As a student at Merrick Avenue Middle School, she tried lacrosse and immediately found her calling. "She was the team MVP in eighth grade. She was our team," said Merrick Avenue lacrosse Coach Amanda McAnally. "I told her parents at Awards Night in eighth grade, her main sport is lacrosse; she can go very far. As soon as you saw her play, you knew she was going to go far in lacrosse."
At age 13, Pastuch started to show signs of her remarkable leadership and an unselfish ability to work with teammates. Because of her innate athletic abilities, she often received more playing time than others, but willingly took herself out of the game to give other students the chance to play. "It just goes to show you what kind of person she was," said McAnally, who would put her back in the game. The coach said with a smile, "We needed her out there. She wanted to give more than receive. She'd see other people score and succeed over herself. Her leadership qualities were just far and above anyone else. You knew she was going to go far in life also."
Pastuch's reputation as an outstanding athlete quickly spread through Bellmore-Merrick. In her freshman year at Calhoun, she was immediately given varsity playing time on the lacrosse team and scored 59 goals while dishing out 11 assists.
Pastuch was also selected to play for the Yellow Jackets Lacrosse Club. Under the tutelage of Northport head Coach Carol Rose and Farmingdale head Coach Tracy Weiner, Pastuch honed her skills.
"To be completely honest, I owe almost 100 percent of my success to the Yellow Jackets," said Pastuch. "Before I really knew anything about lacrosse, they took me under their wing and taught me the game. When I first started, all I did was score goals. I was pure attack. Coach Rose said, 'You can run; you should play midfield.' Low and behold, I'm going to UConn to pay midfielder."
In 2003, Pastuch was selected to represent Long Island in the 2003 Empire State Games, scoring seven goals and one assist in the annual event.
At Calhoun, she improved her statistics each season as she continued to develop. In her sophomore season, Pastuch hit her stride. She improved her scoring output to 75 goals, and garnered her first of three All-County selections.
Teammate Bianca Todd said, "Robyn is a really good player. You can always count on her to do well. A lot of players look up to and count on her. She compliments everyone, never puts anyone down. She doesn't put herself first; she puts the team first. She plays a very important role. Without her, we wouldn't be half the team we are."
Pastuch continued her ascent to stardom as a junior, earning an All-American nomination while playing against her toughest competition when Calhoun moved up to Conference II. She scored 88 goals and had 26 assists, both career highs, and earned the team's Most Valuable Player Award. Regarded as the quintessential team leader, she was voted team captain for her final two years as a Colt.
"I love that feeling of it being my team," said Pastuch. "My teammates, if they have questions, they come to me. If they need help or want to understand a play, they come to me. They look up to me in a way, on and off the field. They also respect me for not drinking; they saw what happened to other people and not to me."
Pastuch also served as the basketball team co-captain for two seasons, and was a key member of the soccer team. As a junior, she earned Calhoun Athlete of the Month honors in November for her soccer exploits, as she headed in the winning goal in overtime when the Calhoun squad knocked off Herricks to make it to the playoffs' second round.
Keri Koegel, the soccer team captain, who will play for Marist next year, said of Pastuch, "She's always very vocal and takes charge. In soccer, she leads and she listens too. Good leaders listen."
Pastuch, who credits much of her success to her family's guidance, followed the example set by her brother Sean, a three-sport athlete at Calhoun. A star in baseball, basketball and cross-country, he gave up athletics to pursue pre-med at Maryland, but finds time to offer advice about on- and off-field matters to his sister. Her mother, Cheryl, played tennis at Baldwin, and her father, Keith, was an All-American baseball player.
"When she came to school, there were big footsteps to follow in," her dad said. "She came to the school, she was Sean's sister and left her own person."
Robyn, who eclipsed the 300-point mark this season, chose the University of Connecticut over Delaware, Towson and Hofstra. The competition will be a big step up, as she will play in the Division I Big East, the nation's premier conference, which includes Georgetown, Notre Dame and Syracuse.
Pastuch said, "I went on my official visits, went to UConn, and I fell in love with the school." Now, having scored big in high school, she will play among the nation's elite.
