Newsday's All-Long Island field hockey team 2022

Newsday Player of the Year: Olivia McKenna, Northport, M/F, Sr.  

Where do you begin when you try to encapsulate the high school career of Northport’s Olivia McKenna?

A true student of the game with the utmost dedication to success and a dynamic player with a field hockey IQ well beyond her years.  

That’s the way coach Gina Walling defines the five-year varsity starter and two-time Newsday Player of the Year, but it only begins to describe the facets of McKenna's style of play.

For the second-straight season, McKenna led Long Island in points, finishing with 56. The centerpiece of Long Island’s high-scoring team, she scored 42 goals, including 14  in the playoffs. Her on-field prowess, stick skills, and accuracy helped spearhead the program to its second straight state title and complete back-to-back undefeated seasons.

McKenna’s love for field hockey began early and developed quickly when she picked up a stick in fourth grade after being introduced to the sport by her Irish-born neighbors. Her twin sister Natalie also fell in love with the game, finding her position in the net. The duo became the ultimate practice partners, eventually convincing their parents to gift them a turf field for their 16th birthdays.

Since being pulled up to varsity in eighth grade, Olivia has shown  a commitment to improving her game. She brought an impressive aerial game to Northport and executed hard-hitting passes that were almost always on target, evident in her 14 assists this season.

But to the McKennas, this is only the beginning. Olivia will graduate this month alongside Natalie, who will join her at UConn in January where they will continue their careers at the next level.

“There couldn’t have been a better way to end my time as a Tiger,” Olivia said. “I only want to keep getting better. There’s so much more work to be done.”

Nassau Player of the Year: Rory Heslin, Garden City, M, Sr.  

Heslin is a  strong all-around player who combined lockdown defense with offensive ability this season. She finished first in Nassau with 30 points (15 goals, 15 assists).  

The captain put her skills on dazzling display in the postseason, where she scored one goal and assisted on another to help Garden City clinch the Long Island Class B title in a 3-0 win over Rocky Point. She also scored the lone goal in Garden City’s 2-1 loss to Vestal in the state final.

“The most important thing for our success was always bringing energy and intensity to the field,” Heslin said. “We played hard together as a unit and wanted to make Garden City proud.”

She will continue her stellar career at Wake Forest next fall.  

Alexa Kidd, Ward Melville, F, Jr.  

A third-year varsity forward and two-year starter, Kidd led an offensive unit that outscored opponents 64-14 this season. She totaled 11 goals and 13 assists.

Amanda Sweeney, Eastport-South Manor, F, Sr.  

The talented scorer was a key part of Eastport-South Manor’s transition game and used her vision and playmaking skills to finish third overall on Long Island in points with 33 (18 goals, 15 assists).

Emma McLam, Northport, M/F, Sr.  

McLam was an offensive  threat every time she stepped on the field. The two-time captain finished an outstanding season second overall on Long Island with 45 points. Her incredible speed made her a threat for breakaways against napping defenses as she totaled 23 goals and 22 assists. She will play lacrosse at the University of Delaware.

Lacey Downey, West Babylon, F, Sr.  

Downey, who will play lacrosse at Boston College next year, is a talented tri-sport athlete (basketball, lacrosse and field hockey) with  superb precision and speed. She was West Babylon’s top offensive threat with 12 goals and five assists.

Laurel Bonn, Huntington, M, Sr.

An aggressive and skilled player in the midfield, Bonn put her focus on finishing, whether it was paving the way for a teammate or putting her own shot to the back of the net. She totaled 20 points (14 goals, six assists) and will play lacrosse at Binghamton next year.  

Maggie Keys, Harborfields, M, Sr.  

Her talent on the field can be seen in both her speed and great field vision, but where Keys shined the brightest was in the circle. Often the hitter on offensive corners and the flier on defensive corners, she totaled 13 goals and 12 assists. Keys will continue her field hockey career next fall at the University of Scranton.  

Meredith Spolarich, Pierson, M, Sr.

Spolarich never hesitated to take control of the ball and create offensive opportunities for the Whalers. She scored three goals in Pierson’s 5-0 victory over Greenport/ Southold in the Suffolk Class C final.

Natalie McKenna, Northport, GK, Sr.  

McKenna moves in and out of the net as though her protective gear is weightless. She made 58 saves, posted 18 shutouts, and had five other games where she allowed only one goal. She stood out in the postseason where she made crucial leaps and dives as the Tigers entered two sudden victory overtime periods. The 2022-23 U.S. U-18 women’s national team member will attend UConn this January.

Olivia Docyk, Carle Place, M, Sr.  

Docyk’s skills in the midfield stood out in her ability to use the sides of the field to fly past defenders and keep the ball in constant motion as she helped the Frogs capture the Nassau Class C, Long Island Class C, and state Class C regional crowns. She will continue her career at Adelphi next year.

Skylar Munro, Seaford, F, Sr.  

A dominant force in the circle, Munro scored the most goals in Nassau (20) and added five assists. Her intensity and creativity while attacking the goal helped Seaford finish with a 8-3 record.

Suffolk Coach of the Year: Shannon Sioss, Ward Melville  

Sioss led Ward Melville to a 17-2 season and the Patriots had 11 shutouts while outscoring opponents 64-14. The team’s only losses were to Northport, both in the regular season (2-0) and in the Suffolk Class A  title game.  

Nassau Coach of the Year: Elissa Frein, Carle Place

In her first season as coach, Frein led the Frogs to a 12-6 record and a state semifinal appearance. Carle Place outscored its opponents 43-17 this season en route to winning the Nassau Class C county title with a 7-1 victory over Cold Spring Harbor, the Long Island C title with a 2-1 win over Pierson, and a state Class C regional crown with a 2-0 victory over Rondout Valley.

By Carissa Kellman

carissa.kellman@newsday.com@CarissaKellman