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Kylie Ohlmiller started things off in the second, leaping into the air and deflecting in a Marie McCool fast-break pass. The lone negative was in the fourth quarter when Ohlmiller went down in the fourth quarter and needed to be helped off the field, limping with an apparent knee injury.Ohlmiller’s no-look pass found North up top for a dead-center shot from just inside the fan. Then, Treanor, double-teamed behind, looped the ball over the defense to an emphatic Ally Kennedy finish.
With 30 seconds remaining in the first quarter of Friday’s matchup between the U.S. and Great Britain’s Women’s Sixes teams, Ellie Masera was lurking.The U.S. faced a man-down situation, one of few during The World Games, and the incoming sophomore at Stony Brook found herself guarding Claire Faram when a pass was sent her way. Masera’s instincts kicked in — see ball, get ball.She jumped in front of Faram, snagged the ball out of of the air and distanced herself from the trailing defenders with blazing speed before finishing off the fourth goal of the game — giving the U.S. momentum after a scrappy first eight minutes.“We knew that they were going to pressure out on the clear, so if I dropped in, it would be open,” she said. “We tried to have two low and one person flying up.”Standing at 5-foot-3 (last time her father measured her), Masera is the shortest player on the U.S. Women’s Sixes team, but she’s also one of the most dynamic. Her speed and sizes has helped her glide past opposing defenses and dodge herself into easy scoring opportunities.“People assume that if you’re tall, you’re going to play better,” she said. “The small girls are the underdogs.”After scoring three goals in each of the U.S.’s first two games, Masera was unleashed. Friday, she delivered the best performance from a U.S. offensive player thus far in The World Games. The Eastport, N.Y. native dropped six goals in the semifinals, helping the U.S. dominate Great Britain 21-5 and advance to The World Games championship against Canada on Saturday afternoon.But it was Masera’s breakout game in a U.S. uniform — something the 19-year-old had always dream about, but didn’t know it would happen so soon.“To be able to play with all these girls — you have national champions and players from a bunch of different schools — it’s really an honor,” she said.Masera helped the U.S. jump out to another lead in the first quarter, capping the period with the caused turnover and finish to make it 4-2. Her goal ignited a seven-goal rally that included pair of score from Madison Ahern, who routinely found space to shoot.Up 11-3 at halftime, the U.S. simply needed to keep the offensive momentum going and they’d seal a trip to the final. Masera continued to take advantage of one-on-one matchups and dropped three more goals in the third quarter to push the lead to 16-4 with eight minutes left.
First was Ellie Masera’s speed. On a man-down, Stony Brook speedster intercepted a pass then ran lightning fast down the field, breaking open a tight start and kicking off a seven-goal U.S. run.She had six goals and two assists in what was arguably the best individual performance of the tournament.
ALLY KENNEDYRemember when Stony Brook was supposed to recede after Kylie Ohlmiller and Courtney Murphy graduated? Yeah, that didn’t happen. Kennedy put the Seawolves on her back. “She’s like a pit bull,” Levy said. “Fast, shifty, tough. If we want to double-team in the middle of the field or off draws, she just picks up the ground balls. And she's an incredibly explosive player offensively.” In a testament to the numerous ways in which she can contribute, Kennedy ranks in the top 10 all-time at Stony Brook for goals, assists, points, ground balls, draw controls and caused turnovers.KYLIE OHLMILLERFor her part, Ohlmiller saw plenty of zone sets from her own defense at Stony Brook. The all-time leading scorer in NCAA history (498 points), she’s the only pure lefty on attack, though Treanor operates seamlessly on that side as well. Ohlmiller said the Athletes Unlimited experience helped her learn how to play with different attack mates, including those with whom she will suit up in Towson.
5. STONY BROOK2022 record: 16-3 (6-0 America East)Last seen: The Seawolves shrugged off a postseason ban from now-former conference America East, received an at-large bid and topped Drexel and Rutgers in the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament. In the quarterfinals, Stony Brook led eventual champion North Carolina by one at halftime but fell 8-5.Initial forecast: After dominating the America East — the Seawolves last lost a conference game in 2014 — Stony Brook essentially replaces James Madison as the most prominent name in the CAA. But the Seawolves have bigger aspirations than a conference crown after close calls against UNC in back-to-back quarterfinals. The team enters 2023 with its offense largely intact from last season. The top three leading scorers return in Ellie Masera (67 goals, 20 assists, 100 draw controls), Kailyn Hart (64 goals, 14 assists) and Jaden Hampel (21 goals, 21 assists, 22 draw controls). Masera didn’t rest on her laurels this summer — she was part of the silver-medal team in the Sixes discipline at The World Games. Her return will likely negate the graduation of two-way midfielder Siobhan Rafferty (32 goals, 19 caused turnovers, 35 ground balls). Attacker Jolie Creo from Holy Cross, who led the Patriot League and was sixth nationally in points per game (5.47), is joining the fold, too. Charlotte Verhulst, who was second on the team with 63 draws, is also back. The biggest question is in net. Charlie Campbell (7.22 GAA, .494 save percentage), who anchored a Seawolves unit that led the nation in scoring defense (6.63), has graduated. Kameron Halsall started in 2021, played in 11 games in 2022 and is eligible for a fifth year in 2023. Redshirt freshman Aaliyah Jones did not play last year. Whoever is in net will have a lockdown defense playing in front of her. Haley Dillon, who led the team with 50 caused turnovers, is staying on Long Island for a fifth year, and Clare Levy (19 caused turnovers) continues to provide a physical and vocal spark. Midfielder/defender Jaidyn Donley, an Under Armour All-American, will also suit up for her freshman year.
5. Stony BrookStony Brook was on the cusp of an upset of the No. 1 team in the quarterfinals but couldn’t hang on to make its first Final Four appearance in program history. They’ll have one of their best shots ever at playing on Memorial Day weekend in 2023, returning their top three leading scorers including second team All-American, Ellie Masera (67G, 20A, 100DC). Defensively, they graduated Charlie Campbell in cage, but Cameron Halsall has one last year of eligibility and boasts plenty of experience including in international play, serving as Team Canada’s starting goalkeeper in this summer’s World Championship. Aside from uncertainty between the pipes, the Seawolves return veterans Haley Dillon (35GB, 50CT) and Clare Levy (31GB, 18CT, 39DC), who’ve led Stony Brook’s patented zone for several years.
SUNDAY, OCT. 9HEADstrong TournamentHempstead, N.Y.Hofstra, Bryant, Rutgers, Stony BrookSATURDAY, OCT. 22Stony Brook at LoyolaBaltimore, Md.Loyola, Stony Brook
Ally Kennedy M Stony Brook '20Ellie Masera M Stony Brook '24Kyle Ohlmiller (inj.) A Stony Brook '18
“We’ve got to take care of our regular season a little bit better. We’ve got to win those marquee games on our schedule to be a top-four seed,” Spallina said. “And if not, you have to win a big road game to get where we want to go.”Spallina said his team needs to take care of business at LaValle Stadium, which it has — the Seawolves enter the 2023 season on a 28-game winning streak, the second-longest active home winning streak in the country.This year, Michigan, Syracuse, Stanford, Northwestern and Rutgers — five teams in USA Lacrosse Magazine’s Early Top 25 — are those critical marquee non-league games as Stony Brook competes in the Colonial Athletic Association for the first time after departing the America East.“Our defense is lock down, No. 1 defense in the country, return all the pieces,” Spallina said. “We don't let up a lot of shots. Make the saves you’re supposed to make. That's it. That's all we're asking.”\