Hofstra's Gandolfi and Stony Brook's Cook lead local offenses

Both are gifted goal scorers and integral parts of their teams. Midfielders Corrine Gandolfi of Hofstra and Melissa Cook of Stony Brook will be expected to propel their women's lacrosse teams toward the postseason. Hofstra seeks an NCAA bid; Stony Brook would be pleased to make its conference tournament.

Gandolfi had an interesting introduction to the game. She started in eighth grade, a year after she was cut from the junior high school softball team in Northport. "I tried it [lacrosse] and I was terrible," she recalled. "I couldn't catch, I was so bad. Out of nowhere, one day, I caught the ball."

And an outstanding lacrosse career was born. She became a high school star (in lacrosse and basketball) and was named a third-team All-American at Hofstra last season. The senior has 103 career goals.

"She has great vision. She is good at knowing if it's her opportunity or how to find someone else," coach Abby Morgan said. "She honestly sometimes gets more excited about an assist than a goal. That's says something about the kind of player she is."

Cook scored 37 goals in her freshman year for Stony Brook, but her production tailed off (18 goals, 15 assists) in her sophomore year. That's because she - and the rest of Stony Brook's offense - let Kaitlin Leggio, the program's all-time leading goal-scorer with 150 goals - take over. But Leggio has graduated and it is open season for Cook, who has 64 career goals, including three games this season.

"Losing her was a huge hit to our attack," Cook said of Leggio. "I think a lot of people looked toward Katie to finish a lot of the shots. We maybe depended on [Leggio] a little too much. I think there are seven girls on attack who can score."

Cook, a junior from Bay Shore, should be the primary threat. "She can be lethal whenever she wants to be," Stony Brook coach Allison Comito said. Cook scored a career-high five goals on five shots in Stony Brook's early-season victory over Duquesne.

"When she decides to put the ball into the back of the net, she does it," Comito said. "She has a great shot, a great fake, quick feet. I expect a big year out of her."