Nyack Wins McGowan Lax Classic [VIDEO]

It was another dramatic finish in the Stacey Sennas McGowan Girls Lacrosse Classic game as Nyack edged out Pearl River 11-10 on Saturday evening.

The teams were playing in memory of Stacy Sennas McGowan, a 1981 Nyack High School graduate who had been a member of the first-ever Nyack girls lacrosse team in the late '70s and a friend of Pearl River Head Coach Laurie Mayernik. McGowan was killed in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center.

Mayernik and members of her girls lacrosse team found her name when they searched the September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York City.

They played at the McCalman Field in Nyack and there was a junior varsity game and alumni contest preceding the varsity game.

Nyack took home honors in the alumni game and the junior varsity game ended in a 13-13 draw.

In the past, the alumni game had been all Nyack players, but this year, there were alumni from Nyack playing against Pearl River graduates according to Mayernik.

They varsity matchup was intense from the first minute to the last. The Pirates scored just 12 seconds into the contest and the Indians scored the game winner with just over a minute remaining.

With the game tied 10-10, Christina DeVita cut hard toward the goal, buried the game winner and sent her teammates wild.

"It was definitely a rough night and day for the team," said Nyack Coach Kathryn Perrella. "They weren't quite sure how to handle their emotions. They wanted to do well, but they were still feeling pretty down. It took a couple minutes to really get into the moment of the game and forget what was going on outside of the game (referring to the memorial)."

Down 11-10 with 1:08 left on the clock coach Mayernik called her star senior Kiera McMullan over to the sideline for a quick word of instruction. Mayernik spoke, McMullan listened and ran in to take the draw at mid field. The ball was loose after the draw and players on both teams scrambled to secure possession.

McMullan charged aggressively toward the ball and was issued a second yellow card and dismissed at the game’s most crucial moment.

The game was a battle from beginning to end and it was Nyack whose nose was in front when the final whistle blew.

“It’s a great game to be a part of. It’s our favorite game of the season," said Mayernik. "It’s a great night for girls lacrosse and a great night to memorialize Stacy.”

"The game was definitely very, very competitive. Pearl River came out and played their best," said DeVita. "It was a good game overall. We just wanted to win so badly. Every ground ball, every pass, every draw, every throw. I think our heart just really kept us in the game."

Download the movie