The Stacey Sennas McGowan Girls Lacrosse Classic varsity game ended with another dramatic finish as Nyack edged out Pearl River 11-10 on Saturday evening.
The teams were playing in memory of Stacy Sennas McGowan, a 1981 Nyack High School graduate who had been a member of the first-ever Nyack girls lacrosse team in the late '70s and a friend of Pearl River Head Coach Laurie Mayernik's. McGowan was killed in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.
Mayernik and members of her girls lacrosse team found McGowan's name when they searched the September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York City.
They played at the McCalman Field in Nyack and there was a junior varsity game and alumni contest preceding the varsity game.
Nyack took home honors in the alumni game and the junior varsity game ended in a 13-13 draw.
In the past, the alumni game had been all Nyack players, but this year, there were alumni from Nyack playing against Pearl River graduates according to Mayernik.
They varsity matchup was intense from the first minute to the last. The Pirates scored just 12 seconds into the contest and the Indians scored the game winner with just over a minute remainng.
Down 11-10 with 1:08 left on the clock, Mayernik called her star senior Kiera McMullan over to the sideline for a quick word of instruction. Mayernik spoke, McMullan listened and ran in to take the draw at midfield. The ball was loose after the draw and players on both teams scrambled to secure possession.
McMullan charged aggressively toward the ball and was issued a second yellow card and dismissed at the game’s most crucial moment.
“It’s always frustrating to have things taken out of your hands,” said Mayernik. “The girls played very hard on both sides. It is just frustrating to see such a great game end the way it did.”
“It’s the same every year, a 1-goal game,” said Mayernik. “It’s a great game to be a part of. It’s our favorite game of the season. It’s a great night for girls lacrosse and a great night to memorialize Stacy.”
