Fri May 14 2021 | Kenny DeJohn | College
PHOTO COURTESY OF STONY BROOK ATHLETICS
Stony Brook topped Towson 14-8 in the first NCAA Division I women s lacrosse tournament game.
Rayna Sabella’s newfound role on the defensive end of the ball was one she was admittedly scared to carve out.
When Haley Dillon went down with an injury in February, Stony Brook needed someone who could step up on defense. Sabella, a midfielder by trade, slid into a defense-first role on a full-time basis. Joe Spallina’s squad has reaped the benefits of her transition.
Sabella, who scored 19 goals in 2019, is instead happy to prevent others from scoring. She had two ground balls and two caused turnovers in eighth-seeded Stony Brook’s 14-8 win over Towson in the first round of the NCAA tournament Friday afternoon, limiting a Towson offense that was also missing top scorer Blair Pearre to just 18 shots (six in the first half).