CSH vs. Friends Academy - a family affair

That awkward moment when you’re trying desperately to beat an opponent and advance in the playoffs, then you look across and see your sister… 

There likely will be a couple of those compromising instances for the Kotowskis this afternoon when Cold Spring Harbor faces Friends Academy in a Nassau Class C girls lacrosse semifinal.

Kate Kotowski is a freshman midfielder for the Seahawks and Victoria Kotowski is an assistant coach for the Quakers. At around 4 p.m., this scenario will cause about a two-hour family feud.

“This game has definitely been the main dinner conversation this week,” said Victoria, a Hofstra sophomore and former All-American at Cold Spring Harbor. “It’ll be strange not only coaching against Kate, but also the seniors and juniors, and [sophomore] Sam DeBelis, who I played with on varsity.”

“My dad (Dave Kotowski) taught Kate and me how to play, so we have similar styles,” Victoria said. “We still go up to the turf and shoot around together all the time… and she’s usually the one teaching me new things.”

Kate had three assists in the Seahawks’ quarterfinal victory over Island Trees and looks to be recovered from an ankle injury that hampered here earlier this season.  

The sisters have opposed each other before in scrimmages with their Team Elevate club teams. Victoria coaches the sophomores and Kate plays with the freshman group. But, with something at stake today, the tension will be far greater.

The last time there was a similar situation – at least to our knowledge – was in 2011, when Wantagh and its star Paula Schmidt played West Babylon, coached by her sister Colleen Schmidt-Kilgus. And that was an early-season non-league game.

The reality in this game is that one of these teams’ season will end. For one sister, there will be the natural sadness and disappointment and for the other, a celebration of victory, though bittersweet.

Cold Spring Harbor (10-5) is the top seed and a heavy favorite against No. 4 Friends Academy. Should the Seahawks advance to the final, they also will be favored to capture the program’s first county title since 1993. They came close in 2012, Victoria’s senior year, but fell to North Shore in double overtime of the final.

“I’ll always root for Kate to play well,” Victoria said, “but of course I want my girls at Friends to win.”  

This time, it’s Friends over family.