Erin Barry had 39 goals and 14 assists last season...

Erin Barry had 39 goals and 14 assists last season for 18-1 Manhasset and was named to the All-Long Island first team and was selected as a U.S. Lacrosse All-American. Credit: Patrick E. McCarthy

Long Island is nationally recognized as a hotbed for lacrosse, consistently producing Division I athletes and Team USA members, as well as teams ranked in the national top 10. The area is packed with stars who dominate this game. But these seven are the top standouts among the senior class. Lethal scorers, do-it-all midfielders, goalies with split-second quickness and instincts. These are the stars that shine brightest.

Erin Barry

Manhasset, Midfield, Sr.

What can’t Barry do?

She’s easily one of the top midfielders in Nassau. A returning All-Long Island first-teamer who is committed to the University of Pennsylvania is both a lockdown single-coverage defender and an uncontainable attacker thanks to an explosive first step.

The U.S. Lacrosse All-American had 39 goals and 14 assists last season for the 18-1 Indians, but expectations are for her to take on an even larger role after several seniors graduated last season.

Though the Indians are young and some may consider this a rebuilding year, Barry will keep them competitive in Nassau.

Charlotte Campbell

St. Anthony’s, Goalie, Sr.

Good luck finding a better goalie on Long Island.

Campbell is everything you want inside the cage. She has great hands, quick feet and incredible reflexes that helped her make 179 saves last season for St. Anthony’s. She has 531 saves during her time with the Friars.

Add in her instincts that allow her to command the defense effortlessly, and Campbell is the total package in goal. Committed to the University of Virginia, she is a huge reason why the Friars are expected to be CHSAA champs for the ninth year in a row.

Vanessa Costantino

West Islip, Midfield, Sr.

During West Islip’s run to its first state title last season, opposing teams must have been thinking, “What can we do to contain Costantino?”

When they double- and triple-teamed Costantino, the skilled passer was able to find the open attacker. When they left the All-American one-on-one, she made them pay with her powerful shot.

Costantino, the quintessential playmaker and Syracuse-bound star, finished with 45 goals and 40 assists for the reigning state champions.

Yet her contributions to the Lions didn’t end there. In a season in which the team had to overcome a large amount of adversity, Costantino was the vocal leader, always rallying her teammates from inside the huddle.

Katie Hoeg

Mattituck, Midfield, Sr.

The numbers jump out at you: 110 points, 70 goals as a sophomore, 108 points, 57 goals as a junior. But only in the context of how Mattituck has succeeded as a team can you understand the depth of Hoeg’s contributions.

Hoeg, a dynamic two-way player with incredible field vision, helped Mattituck to nine wins as a sophomore, topping the team’s previous best of five wins. Then, as a junior last season, she lifted the Tuckers to their first 10-win season and first playoff victory.

The North Carolina-bound midfielder has a knack for getting all of her teammates involved and bringing out the best in them.

Kerrigan Miller

Bayport-Blue Point, Midfield, Sr.

More than elite defensive skills or an impeccable shooting ability, it is Miller’s supreme athleticism that makes her a nightmare for opposing teams.

Defending the opposition’s top scorer one minute, and scoring against the opposition’s top defender the next — this is what makes Miller such a unique talent. Fast and nimble, Miller can play end to end. She is committed to Southern California and is a member of the U.S. Under-19 team.

The All-American’s quickness and dodging help her penetrate the defense and initiate the offense. Miller will help the Phantoms compete for a county title this season.

Taryn Ohlmiller

Islip, Midfield, Sr.

It’ll take your best defender . . . probably even your best two defenders. And even still, you’ll be hard-pressed to stop Ohlmiller.

With an explosive shot and elusiveness near the cage, Ohlmiller is a prolific scorer who can burn you in a multitude of ways. She also is an adept passer that can draw defenders before dishing to a cutting attacker. Ohlmiller had 106 points in each of the past two seasons (75 goals in 2014, 73 in 2015).

Ohlmiller is committed to Stony Brook, where she will join her older sister and 2014 Islip alumnus, Kylie Ohlmiller.

Nikki Sliwak

Wantagh, Midfield, Sr.

You probably can’t defend Sliwak one on one.

Sliwak couples a powerful shot with great placement, making her a weapon for Wantagh. She scored 65 goals and racked up 88 points during the Warriors’ run to a Nassau championship.

Committed to Maryland, Sliwak is an overall great athlete who is not a slouch on defense, either, earning her recognition as a 2015 All-American and a 2015 All-County selection.

Wantagh will lean on her heavily in hopes of repeating as county champs. The Warriors return an overall strong core, and Sliwak will be at the forefront of their offensive and defensive exploits.

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