Athlete of the week is Sayville's Cabral

Olivia Cabral

Sayville field hockey

Wednesday's victory for Sayville over Bayport- Blue Point seemed like any other game for Cabral, a junior midfielder. She had an assist, baffled opponents with her stickwork and ran up and down the length of the field for 60 minutes like it was nothing.

Except it wasn't nothing. Cabral was quite ill with a cold Wednesday. You wouldn't know it until you heard the hoarseness of her voice after the game.

In three games last week, Cabral notched four goals and five assists. She has 22 points on the year, which is tied for second on Long Island, earning her Newsday's Athlete of the Week honors.

It's not about the individual goals or numbers for her, or for the rest of the girls on the Sayville field hockey team. It's about teamwork. Each member of the team wears a rope around her ankle symbolizing how they carry each other on and off the field.

"I consider my team my family. I eat dinner with them," Cabral said. "I see them as a family. I'm probably with them more than my parents and my sister."

Cabral's athletic prowess is obvious, but you have to look a little harder to see how much of a leader she is. Or perhaps listen a little harder. Cabral values talking on the field, constantly communicating back and forth during games with her teammates, and credits them with what has so far been an 11-0 season. In the victory over Bayport, the talking may have been a bit raspier than normal.

"I really look for my team to talk on the field. I'm a big key talker. My team needs to talk," Cabral said. "The talking today on the field was unbelievable. They really pulled through to me."

Field hockey wasn't always the fall sport of choice for Cabral. She was a soccer prodigy until seventh grade. Her older sister played field hockey for Sayville, and like most little sisters, Cabral wanted to be just like her. "She was my idol," Cabral said.

Being a junior, Cabral won't really have to start thinking about college for awhile. But she does, and has every intention of continuing to play the sport she loves. "I've already talked to a few schools," she said.

Before every game, Cabral has the same snack: Dinosaur Eggs oatmeal. A bit superstitious, she won't eat anything but that. "I can't have regular oatmeal unless there's dinosaur candies in them," she said.

Whatever helps Sayville continue their unbeaten streak.