Farmingdale's Rothar won't take a knee

Farmingdale State senior attack/midfielder Justine Rothar never missed a high school game at Division and, until recently, she had played in 53 straight for her college team.

But an old injury, one that had never caused her to miss time, finally ended her streak. Her left knee was dislocated during an April 5 game with Manhattanville. "The technical term is subluxation," the aspiring registered nurse said.

On Wednesday, she hopes to return against Ramapo.

The injury was devastating for this get-up-and-go individual. "When my knee was ripped out, I felt like it was my heart," she said. "I never felt worse pain in my life, I was screaming. I almost passed out.

"I never miss anything. I never do. I've never missed a class, I don't really get sick, knock on wood. In high school I had perfect attendance."

At Division, Rothar was the captain of the lacrosse team, where she was named an unsung hero. She was hardly unsung to her classmates, who voted her Homecoming queen and "best looking."

Rothar is Farmingdale's captain, but the 5-2 athlete is also is a surfer, lifeguard, member of the college's Student Athletic Advisory Committee, helper to her three younger siblings and oldest of 14 grandchildren. She cares for a cat, dog and a ball python snake named Anudar. "Perfection isn't a big thing for me," she said. "Putting all your energy into it is." She will leave for Guyana next month as part of a volunteer group dedicated to helping care for the sick in that country.

Rothar clearly has no time for the disabled list. The knee problem started in high school during a cheering routine. "It usually just goes out and comes right back in," she said. "It's happened to me 10-plus times. It always goes back, it never just stays out."

Until this incident.

Despite her discomfort, Rothar has attended practices with the Rams, who are 6-4 overall, 5-0 in the Skyline Conference. Rothar, who has 25 goals and 19 assists, is Farmingdale's all-time leading scorer with 266 points (163 goals, 103 assists).

"Even if I couldn't play again," she said, "I'd be at every single practice, every single game. Those are my girls."

They're in the Navy now

Their schools were natural rivals, but Rocky Point's Danielle Vivonetto and Sayville's Jasmine DePompeo were soon to become friends. "Our teams were huge rivals, we didn't know each other real well," DePompeo said. "But we always guard each other in soccer and lacrosse."

Vivonetto, a year older, graduated and went to Navy. A year later, DePompeo joined her. "Once I knew she wanted to come here, everything [regarding the rivalry] goes away," Vivonetto said. "Now, I wanted her to be on my team instead of playing against her."

When DePompeo visited Navy, Vivonetto was her host. "I think they did it on purpose," Vivonetto chuckled. "I was excited to play with someone who obviously was really good."

The pair has helped Navy to a 10-4 record. DePompeo is among the nation's leaders with 39 goals and 25 assists. Vivonetto has six goals in seven games since returning from a knee injury. Both enjoy being at a service academy. "It is pretty cool," DePompeo said, "that we are representing Navy and essentially our country."

LI's NCAA leaders

(Goals, assists, points)

Division I

Men

1. Rob Pannell, Cornell (Smithtown West), 27-28 -- 55

Women

1. Shannon Smith, Northwestern (West Babylon) 42-30 -- 72

Division III

Men

2. Zachary Gray, USMMA 45-17 -- 62

Player of the week

Senior midfielder Claire Peterson, Adelphi. The Wantagh High School grad had five goals and seven assists in No. 1 Adelphi's 20-14 victory over No. 5 Stonehill. Petersen also collected five ground balls. Peterson has 23 goals and 45 assists for 68 points. She holds the school record for most points in a game with 14. A first-team All-American, she led the nation in 2010 with 128 points.

Quotable

Former Long Islander Bill Tierney, now coaching Denver, on the state-of-the-art facility at Bethpage High School named after the late Howie Vogts: "I kind of chuckled when I saw Howie Vogts Field. Howie probably liked the dirt and rocks better."

Countdown

Days to NCAA's men's quarterfinals at Hofstra: 37

Days to NCAA's women's Division II and III nationals at Adelphi: 37

Days to NCAA women's Final Four at Stony Brook: 43

National rankings

Division I - Men

1. Syracuse (9-0)

2. Notre Dame (8-0)

3. Johns Hopkins (8-2)

4. Maryland (8-2)

5. Cornell (8-2)

6. Denver (8-2)

7. Virginia (8-3)

8. Hofstra (10-1)

9. North Carolina (7-4)

10. Duke (8-4)

13. Stony Brook (6-3)

Source: United States Intercollegiate

Lacrosse Association

Division I - Women

1. Maryland (13-0)

2. Northwestern (12-0)

3. Duke (11-2)

4. North Carolina (12-0)

5. Loyola (12-0)

6. Florida (12-1)

7. Stanford (12-1)

8. Penn (8-3)

9. James Madison (9-2)

10. Albany (11-0)

Source: Intercollegiate Women's

Lacrosse Coaches Association

Division II-Men

1. Limestone (12-0)

2. Le Moyne (8-1)

3. C.W. Post (11-1)

4. (tie) Mercyhurst (7-2)

Dowling (8-2)

6. Mercy (8-1)

7. Adelphi (8-1)

8. NYIT (6-3)

9. Mars Hill (10-3)

10. Merrimack 7-2)

Division II-Women

1. Adelphi (8-0)

2. Le Moyne (9-1)

3. Lock Haven (12-0)

4. Limestone (12-0)

5. Stonehill (10-1)

6. C.W. Post (7-1)

7. West Chester (10-1)

8. Rollins (9-3)

9. Dowling (7-2)

10. Gannon (8-4)

Junior College-Men

1. Onondaga (9-0)

2. Nassau CC (7-2)

3. Essex (7-1)

4. Genesee (7-1)

5. Suffolk CC (6-4)

Source: National Junior College

Athletic Association