For SJB's Jaycox, the team's the thing

The play wasn't drawn up. In fact, it belonged more to St. John the Baptist's girls lacrosse storybook than to its playbook.

It was the opening minutes of the Cougars' matchup against St. Anthony's on Monday. Danielle Jaycox came off a pick just inside the 8-meter arc. From behind the cage, a freshman teammate slung her a long pass in a somewhat awkward position.

"It was one of those, 'Why are you passing it to me here?' plays," Jaycox said. "I was outside and I didn't think it was a good angle to shoot. But I shot it anyway."

The ball whizzed under the goalie's arm. It was the 250th goal of the senior's decorated career and the big assist came from li'l sis, Morgan.

"It was a special moment," SJB coach Janine Pirone said. "She's the program's all-time leading scorer and to reach that milestone on a pass from her sister."

The game was stopped briefly, allowing Pirone to retrieve the ball and teammates to yell congratulations to Danielle.

There was no basking in the moment, though. Really, at the time, Jaycox barely cared. "I didn't know," she said. "Coach told me afterward . . . I don't really pay attention to the number of goals I score. I'm not sitting there counting."

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Pirone calls her "the face of the program" and the player who "has put us on the map." Jaycox, a Newsday All-Long Island selection last season, leads all girls with 135 points, including 85 goals. She's a star following up a breakout season with a breakthrough year. Ask about it, though, and Jaycox won't go there. She'd rather give name-by-name shout-outs to her teammates, boast of their improvements, compliment her sister, then speak with delight about Thursday's 18-6 win over Holy Trinity that sent the Cougars (12-9) to the AA semifinals for the first time.

It's not uncommon -- a great scorer claiming to barely acknowledge their numbers and accomplishments. But there is sincerity when Jaycox shrugs at her stats, because she'll point to last season.

"I scored 96 goals and it didn't get us anywhere," she said. The Cougars went 8-8 and got bumped from the first round of the CHSAA playoffs. "One person can make a difference, but it won't be much if it's a one-man show. The difference now is we're all helping each other . . . I didn't get us here. I helped get us here."

Jill May had 85 points, Kaitlyn Montalbano 71, Morgan Jaycox 64 and Katelyn Coon was solid in net down the stretch for the Cougars.

The number Jaycox does highlight is the assists. She had 21 last season, a product of her "having to be the go-to scorer," Pirone said. She finished this season with 50.

"I can pass the ball more than I used to," said Jaycox, who will play for Adelphi. "We're all contributing and helping each other. It's nice to be on a team like this."