Pearl River Faces Familiar Coach in Lacrosse Final

Pearl River coach Laurie Mayernik will have to defeat one of her former players for the Pirates to claim the first section title in school history 5 p.m. today at Yorktown.

Pearl River (14-4-1) is playing in the Section 1 Class C championship game against top-seeded Pleasantville (17-1), coached by Pearl River graduate Allison Steinberg.

"I know they ahve a couple of girls who are really fast and tall," Mayernik said. "Their coach played for me. I know some of the things they do over the years.

"We really have to go out and play our own game, play the way we always play."

Pearl River features a balanced offense led by seniors Maddie Wilson and Lauren Cook and junior Kiera McMullan, but it was the defense, backed by goalie Delia White, that clamped down on high-powered Bronxville in a 10-7 victory in the semifinals.

"They stepped up yesterday," Mayernik said Tuesday. "They were terrific. They have one goal in mind (the section title)."

The defense faces another challenge in a Pleasantville attack that features three strong scorers --Meghan Reda, Kristina Howe and Elizabeth King. Reda came up big in the semifinals, scoring five goals in a 12-11 victory over Edgemont.

Mayernik said that Pearl River's tough schedule paid off when the Pirates were pushed early against Bronxville. She was not concerned about her players being nervous about playing in the championship game. Neither program has a girls lacrosse section championship, though Pleasantville is a relatively new program.

"They know that anybody can be beaten on any given day," Mayernik said of her players. "You have to respect your opponent. They just have to play their game. It's not about Pleasantville.  It's about how Pearl River will show up and play."