Sewanhaka High School’s girls lacrosse coach Erica Brennan knows something good is going to happen when attacker Skylar Shimansky is sprinting down the field.
“When she’s on the move, shooting, 90 percent of the time, it’s going in,” Brennan said.
The goals have been going in for Shimansky on a consistent basis so far this season. She leads the Indians with eight goals and has scored in each of the team’s first six games.
“She has a pretty quick shot,” said Brennan. “There’s no doubt in my mind that she’s going to score 2-3 goals every game.”
Shimansky knew she would be a focal point of the offense following the departure of last year’s leading goal scorer, Kaitlyn Dempsey. Shimansky, who was second in goals last year, admits to feeling some of the pressure.
“I definitely did feel that (pressure) in the beginning,” Shimansky said. “It’s very hard to try to live up to Kaitlyn because she’s such a great player. But I felt like I learned a lot from her.”
Shimansky is also optimistic of the 2014 season for Sewanhaka, despite its 0-6 start.
“We moved up to a higher conference this year so we’re playing teams better than us, but it’s making us better in the process,” said Shimansky.”
Shimansky, a senior, plans on attending Hunter College, where she wants to study psychology. The school does not have a lacrosse team, but Shimansky is hoping to start a lacrosse club there.
Shimansky and the Indians are planning for a big second half.
“Daniella Ford and Michelle Niles hold our defense together,” said Shimansky “We have a goalie (Nicole Santoli) who has been on varsity for three years now.”
Said Brennan, “We expect the team to live up to our expectations.”
Brennan also wants Shimansky to get warmed up by the end of the season, which would be a scary thought for Sewanhaka’s opponents.
“It’s a comfort knowing that you have somebody that can score like she can,” she said.
