Lady Sailors conclude tough year

A disappointing season for Oceanside came to an end with a 17-10 defeat to visiting Port Washington in the quarterfinals of the Nassau Class A girls’ lacrosse playoffs.

The Lady Vikings pulled away with a dozen second-half goals, breaking a 5-5 deadlock at halftime. Justine Clark scored five goals and assisted on two others to lead the Lady Sailors, who made their fifth consecutive playoff appearance.

“It was a tough year,” coach Ken Dwyer said, “but not once did the girls pack it in. They continued to fight. We lost six games by a total of eight goals.

“We were racked with circumstances where we didn’t have the same lineup for most games, and that hurt the chemistry a little bit.”

Seniors Clark and Lauren Schlitt finished tied for the team lead in goals with 25, and senior Amanda Thorner added 20 to go along with a team-leading eight assists. Junior Katherine Malavet (12) and sophomore Danielle Montano (11) also reached double digits in goals.

“Justine, Lauren and Amanda were our three big weapons,” Dwyer said of Clark, Schlitt and Thorner, who combined for 151 goals over the past two seasons. “Teams focused on stopping them.”

In addition to the big playoff performance, Clark had a five-goal game in a season-opening win over Bethpage. Schlitt also scored five times against Bethpage, while Thorner had a five-goal game against Lynbrook. Clark and Schlitt also notched a couple of hat tricks along the way.   

Malavet, who led Oceanside (2-7 in Conference II, 3-13 overall) in shooting percentage, enjoyed a breakout game in a 13-8 victory over Carle Place with five goals. She also scored four times in a 15-14 overtime loss to MacArthur. Montano closed the year with goals in four straight games.

Defensively, senior Helen Fields and junior Tina Pumo set the tone. Dwyer said the Lady Sailors allowed an average of 10 goals per game, an improvement of two goals compared to last year’s 10-win team. Fields, who received the Unsung Hero Award, led the team in ground balls, draw controls and fewest turnovers. Pumo was also a shutdown defender and will lead the unit in 2011 as a fourth-year starter.

In goal, junior Allie Fayans proved one of the conference’s best. She totaled 120 saves, including a career-high 20 in an overtime loss to Friends Academy, and picked up Honorable Mention All-County honors. “Allie was incredibly consistent, aggressive and active” Dwyer said. “She was there for us game-in and game-out.”