2004 All-Long Island Field Hockey

BY ADAM GORNEY | STAFF WRITER
A look at the field hockey players who stood out on Long Island high school varsity squads in the fall of 2004.

SHAYLYN BLANEY
Ward Melville, Midfielder, Sophomore
Shaylyn Blaney scored, defended, passed and did everything else a player can do in a 60-minute field hockey game. The midfielder was a scoring threat, but was also one of Long Island's most determined defensive players. She had 13 goals and six assists, and helped lead the Patriots to their second straight Long Island championship. Blaney used her athletic ability and speed to harass opponents on defense and benefited by being constantly aggressive near the goal.

CARISA EYE
Smithtown, Forward, Senior
It is no surprise Carisa Eye led Suffolk in scoring for the second straight season, this time with 29 goals after returning from off-season surgery on her left knee. The three-time Hi-Five All-Long Island selection was the county's top scorer as a junior with 23 goals despite missing eight games with a broken middle finger. Eye finished her career with 86 goals. She is relentless in the circle and has a knack for dodging defenders near the goal.

MEGHAN FLYNN
Massapequa, Forward, Senior
 Meghan Flynn proved how dangerous she was during a three-day stretch in early October. She scored seven goals, including two hat tricks, in three wins and led Massapequa to the Class A final. Flynn, a heady and disciplined forward who had 12 goals this season, had fantastic stickwork and excellent control in the open field and is a top-notch defensive player. "She plays with such heart," Massapequa coach Tisha Werner said. "She understands what it means to play on a team."

CAITLIN GELBER
Centereach, Forward, Senior
 Caitlin Gelber, an explosive three-year starter, had 15 goals and seven assists for a team of over-achievers who beat Smithtown twice and Long Island Class A champ Ward Melville once. Gelber was the main reason Centereach went from darkhorse to title contender in Suffolk Division I. Gelber was an agile and determined forward who was dangerous every time the ball entered the circle and utilized her aggressiveness and hustle to beat defenders. "Caitlin was an asset because she worked so hard," Centereach coach Laura Melfi said.

KAITLIN JOHNSON
Ward Melville, Midfielder, Senior
Kaitlin Johnson was not the most boisterous or outgoing player, but she never failed to get the job done and was crucial in Ward Melville's successful season. She had pinpoint passing ability and is one of Long Island's best free hitters, a major asset when Sarah Von Bargen and Shaylyn Blaney are streaking toward the goal. Johnson was also a constant threat within 25 yards, as she scored 18 goals and added 12 assists in helping lead the Patriots' championship run.

ADRIENNE KOSLOW
North Shore, Forward, Senior
Coach Christine Graham calls Adrienne Koslow, a two-time Hi-Five All-Long Island selection, North Shore's natural leader. The senior perfected that role this season, as North Shore advanced to the Class B Long Island championship. Koslow had eight goals and 12 assists and her game went way beyond the statistics sheet. She had the ability to score even though she was double-teamed in the middle, and could set up teammates when she was marked too tightly. Her ball control and stick power, even on the run, set her apart.

LAUREN KUCHMAK
Smithtown, Midfielder, Senior
Lauren Kuchmak was the prototypical blue-collar midfielder who showed up every game and made a difference. Whether it was feeding her teammate Eye on a nifty pass into the circle or defending free hits at midfield, the two-time Hi-Five All-Long Island selection did a little of everything. Her free hit was one of the best on Long Island and her ability to set the tempo on the offensive end was unparalleled. "Her stickwork was exceptional," Smithtown coach Ann Naughton said. "She had such strength and power."

ERIN McGOLDRICK
Garden City, Defender, Senior
Erin McGoldrick was Nassau's toughest defender and the key to Garden City's defense that allowed only six goals during the regular season. McGoldrick, a three-year starter and co-captain, was poised when an offensive player raced toward her and had fantastic stick control defending in the circle. She did not get riled during a scramble and maintained her poise defending against breakaways. Not only was McGoldrick a stopper, though. The defensive specialist also added five goals and four assists this season.

EMILY MILLER
Garden City, Midfielder, Senior
Emily Miller is not flashy and does not produce mind-boggling statistics. But what Miller does bring as a four-year starter is consistency and leadership, and she becomes an offensive threat each time the ball lands on her stick. Miller, one of the best one-on-one players on the Island because of her relentless pace and stickwork, had a team-high 12 goals and added four assists this season, and was a major force in Garden City winning its third straight Nassau Class A title.

KRISTIN MORRISON
Friends Academy, Midfielder, Junior
If there is one player on Long Island who is a constant danger anywhere on the field, it would be Morrison. A three-time Hi-Five All-Long Island selection and four-year starter, Morrison had 12 goals and 11 assists, leading Friends to the Nassau Class C final. Not only is Morrison a scoring threat, she possesses tremendous strength and an eye for open teammates with precision passing. "She is the total package," Friends coach Georgette Trott said. "She has the maturity of most kids I haven't seen in college."

CHRISTEN PICOLI
Friends Academy, Forward, Junior
Christen Picoli, who started for her third straight year, led Nassau with 18 goals and added 14 assists despite battling double-teams all season. The 5-1 forward was a relentless and unyielding competitor who scored seven goals before Oct. 1 for Friends, which was upset by Carle Place in the Nassau Class C final. "She will do whatever she has to do to win," Trott said. "She is a very coachable young lady with a real passion. She loves field hockey."

DIANA ROCKLEIN
East Islip, Midfielder, Senior
Diana Rocklein had 10 goals and 11 assists this season, and her 37 points in three years gives her the highest point total in East Islip's 29-year history. She also was a talented defender at midfield and during penalty corners, causing problems with her crafty stickwork. "She went above and beyond this year," East Islip Chris Veit said. "She's a very smooth player."

KATIE ROSE
Garden City, Midfielder, Junior
Katie Rose's statistics will not cause much stir, but that is one reason why Garden City coach Diane Chapman was so pleased with her midfielder. Rose, whose sister Meghan was an All-Long Island selection last season, had a team-high 12 assists and added three goals. But it is the intangibles like Rose's breakneck speed and precision stickwork that has made her a top player at Garden City, which has won 11 straight Nassau titles.

SARAH VON BARGEN
Ward Melville, Forward, Senior
She ran and ran, and when everyone else took a break, Sarah Von Bargen ran a little more. Von Bargen, one of the fastest players on the Island, scored 25 goals and added 10 assists, leading Ward Melville to its second straight Class A Long Island title. "She brings so much energy and intensity," Ward Melville coach Nancy Cole said. "She has speed and great stickwork and a great knack for scoring goals." Von Bargen will play lacrosse at New Hampshire next season.

KAITLIN WAGNER
Friends Academy, Goalie, Junior
Kaitlin Wagner became a goalie at the end of eighth grade when she put on the pads for the first time and completed a full handspring in front of Trott. The Friends coach has been astonished ever since. Wagner, who is also a dancer, was nothing short of a vacuum in goal this season, saving 61 of 65 shots taken and recorded 11 shutouts in the regular season. Her flexibility is key, and Wagner is capable of 30-yard clearing passes from the goal.

COACHES OF THE YEAR

CHRISTINE GRAHAM
Nassau Coach of the Year
North Shore (14-3-0)
Christine Graham maximized her team's strengths all season to win the first Nassau Class B crown in her eight-year tenure. She counted on two-time Hi-Five All-Long Island senior forward Adrienne Koslow, but also utilized Catie Destio's offensive ability and a stingy defense. North Shore beat Class A finalist Massapequa and 2003 Class B champ New Hyde Park once and took out Manhasset twice. "We've worked hard all season," Graham said. "I have to thank the girls because they performed on the field.

LAURA MELFI
Suffolk Coach of the Year
Centereach (14-2-0)
No one expected Centereach, a team with only one senior starter, to contend for the Suffolk Division I title let alone the Suffolk Class A crown, except Laura Melfi. The third-year coach engineered a program that beat Smithtown twice and defending Class A Long Island champion Ward Melville once. Melfi utilized the team's strengths of a fast-paced and upbeat style to advance to the Suffolk Class A semifinals as a No. 2 seed before being knocked off by Ward Melville. Centereach returns 10 starters next season. "People now know who we are," Melfi said, "but that's not going to change who we are."

HOW THEY WERE PICKED The All-Long Island Girls Lacrosse Team and coaches of the year were selected after polling coaches and Newsday staff members. Staff writer Adam Gorney wrote the player and coaches capsules.

Copyright © 2008, Newsday Inc.

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