Sports
Nyack Holds On To Win Stacey Sennas McGowan Game
The Nyack girls lacrosse team beat Pearl River, 8-5, in a game honoring the memory of a victim of the Sept. 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center.
Laura Graham remembers one year gathering with friends at Nyack High School to study for finals, and after a few silent minutes, her friend Stacey Sennas McGowan decided to break the tension.
“She stood up and started dancing out of nowhere,” Graham said. “Then we all stood up and danced. We had like a five-minute break to have a dance party and we were all laughing. Most of my memories of her are of her finding a laugh, finding the fun in a situation.”
McGowan died in the World Trade Center attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, and shortly after Graham and McGowan’s parents started the Stacey Sennas McGowan Memorial Fund. The fund raises money for scholarships, usually for female athletes. Graham said it was important to honor the memory of her friend and teammate on Nyack High School’s first ever girls lacrosse team in 1978.
Included in honoring McGowan was the creation of the Stacey Sennas McGowan Game, which was played for the ninth time on Saturday at Clarkstown North. Nyack, however, played Pearl River, but the game was moved to North, which has a turf field, due to heavy rain earlier in the day.
“It’s not a mournful night. It’s not sad,” Graham said. “It’s more celebratory and fun. Stacey got it right. She knew how to work hard, but also how to be silly and fun.”
Pearl River has a special connection to the game, as well, as Pearl River girls lacrosse Head Coach Laurie Mayernik was also a teammate of McGowan’s at Nyack.
“It’s a great game, one the girls look forward to every year,” Mayernik said. “Last year we took the girls down to the World Trade Center and took them to see it, and they were very taken back by everything. It’s important to look back and remember people like Stacey. She never took herself too seriously.”
As for the game, it went back-and-forth in the first half, with the two teams heading into the half tied at three. Both teams went scoreless for a long stretch to open the second half, but Nyack eighth grader Danielle Lydecker put Nyack on top for good with consecutive goals.
“I think they probably weren’t paying much attention to her and she took advantage,” said Nyack Head Coach Kathryn Perrella.
Perrella added that Lydecker has been in and out this year with playing time so far.
“Today she played the whole game, though,” Perrella said. “I really liked the intensity she was bringing today.”
Nyack scored the first four goals of the second half to really pull ahead after Kate Fischer and Taylor O’Sullivan each scored as well. Pearl River was shut out for most of the second half until Courtney Ocasal netted one with 1:44 to go in the game. Pearl River’s Caitlin Noonan scored 20 seconds later to make things interesting late, but Nyack’s Taylor Bertolacci sealed the win with a goal with 18 seconds to go.
Ocasal led all scorers with three goals on Saturday. Her teammate Noonan was the only other Pirate to score, netting two goals in the loss.
Lydecker, Fischer and O’Sullivan all scored two each for Nyack. The other goals came from Bertolacci and Jennifer Farrell.
With the win, Perrella thinks the Indians win their league, as they’re the only team still without a league loss. She also said she and her players also enjoy playing in the McGowan game.
“Every year the night before the game, we have a dinner with Stacey’s mom and she talks to the girls about Stacey and gives them a speech to pump them up,” Perrella said. “But it’s not just about Stacey. We remember any loved ones we’ve lost. It’s a reminder for all of us that there’s more to life than just a game.”
