Schmidt helps Wantagh past West Babylon

She was hardly reveling in the sibling rivalry, but when it came down to it, it was the younger Schmidt who prevailed.

Paula Schmidt -- Wantagh's All-Long Island attacker -- scored four goals against West Babylon to spoil her big sister's coaching debut, and teammates Colleen Lovett (three goals, six assists) and Sabrina Mattera (six goals) paced the Warriors to a 16-8 non-league win at Wantagh on Friday.

On the sideline for the Eagles, Colleen Kilgus (née Schmidt), managing her first game against the team and the coach she grew up playing for. It was, in a word, "awkward," Paula Schmidt said.

"She's probably one of the only people to teach me lacrosse, other than my father," she said. "It's a little weird."

In the first half, it was more than weird, it was downright frustrating for Schmidt and Co. The Eagles staked a 5-2 lead with 8:52 left in the half, before Wantagh (3-0) scored the next three, capped by Mattera's goal off an assist by Lovett with 4:31 left in the frame. Jessica Geiersbach scored off a deflected save to give the Eagles a 6-5 lead at the half.

New half, new story. April Iannetta notched the equalizer on a breakaway 45 seconds into the half and Mattera's goal with 20:59 left put the Warriors ahead for good as Wantagh went on to score seven straight goals in the first 13:36 of the half.

The Eagles drew to within 13-8 on Samantha Apuzzo's score off a Christina Esposito feed with 6:10 to play, but Mattera, called "the sniper" both for her accuracy and her guile, scored the final three goals for Wantagh.

SEE PHOTOSWantagh 16, West Babylon 8

"She squeezes in that shot," Wantagh assistant coach Ody Svolos said of Mattera. "People lose track of her on the field."

Esposito led West Babylon with five goals and an assist.

The non-league contest is something of an annual barometer for both teams, though Wantagh coach Bobbi Colavita said it was especially nice to see a former player on the other end.

"It's nice to see it come full circle," she said.

As for Kilgus, the former George Washington University player who used to bring her baby sister to games, "it's going to be fun," she said before the game.

"I've been Paula's biggest fan," she said. Since the two are nine years apart, being teammates or even adversaries had always been out of the question, though Paula, it seems, is a quick study.

"She didn't want to give me insider information," Kilgus said. "She's been pretty quiet."

That may change, now that bragging rights go to little sis, Paula said with a smirk.

"This'll last awhile."