Long Island girls lacrosse: Top 10 goalies for 2024

Emily Backlin, Long Beach, Sr.

Backlin is more than just a goalie that stops goals. She helps create the goals also as coach Rachel Ray credited Backlin’s ability to find long outlet passes to create transition and scoring opportunities from the offense. Ray called Backlin the backbone of the team with a strong lacrosse IQ. The Binghamton commit had 144 saves last season.

Dakota Capolino, Farmingdale, Sr.

Capolino isn’t just a goalie who stands between the pipes. The senior is agile and isn’t afraid to come out of the cage for interceptions or to corral ground balls. The Flagler College commit had a 15-save performance in a 13-7 win over Calhoun last year.

Delaney Clark, Kellenberg, Jr.

Coach Anne Masiulis said Clark had a huge summer after making 142 saves as a sophomore in her first season as Kellenberg’s starting goalie. The Holy Cross commit had standout performances against Sacred Heart (19 saves) and South Side (18 saves) last year.

Maya Farnan, Westhampton, Jr.

Farnan is on pace to become the program’s all-time leader in saves in just her junior season, entering the season just 96 saves behind Eleanor Kast for the program record, according to coach Mary Bergmann. The coach also said Farnan set the program record for saves in a season (175) in a freshman season to help Westhampton win the Long Island Class B championship. Farnan, committed to play at UPenn, had a 61.5% save percentage in the county and Long Island championship games as a freshman, both resulting in 6-5 wins.

Brianna Henke, Rocky Point, Jr.

Henke, also known as “Breezy,” is a rare lefthanded goalie with great vision and leadership as the anchor of the Rocky Point defense. The UMass had 96 saves last season, including an incredible 21-save performance in a 10-9 win over Shoreham-Wading River last season.

Ashley Langdon, Eastport-South Manor, Sr.

Langdon, entering her third year as the varsity starter, uses her athleticism to her advantage by leaving the crease to challenge a scorer, cause a turnover, or pick up a timely ground ball. Coach Beck Thorn credited the Johns Hopkins commit’s ability to read offenses quickly enough to intercept passes to halt an attack.

Niamh Pfaff, Garden City, Sr.

The Yale commit had 125 saves last season, including 12 saves in a 15-6 victory over West Islip in the Long Island Class B championship last season. She’s also gotten off to a strong start this season in anchoring a Garden City defense that allowed six goals to Bayport-Blue Point and seven goals to Ward Melville, two of the best teams in Suffolk.

Maya Soskin, Cold Spring Harbor, Jr.

The Florida commit allowed only 10 goals in four postseason games with a save percentage of 68.8% during Cold Spring Harbor’s run to the state Class D semifinals last season. Soskin has played some of her best lacrosse in the biggest games throughout her varsity tenure, including 21 saves in an 11-6 loss to Bronxville in the state Class D semifinals as a freshman.

Abigail Warner, Longwood, Sr.

The six-year starter is one of the top long ball passers on Long Island and she’s key in starting the team’s offense even from the very last line of defense. Warner had a save percentage better than 50% last season and is committed to play at UNC Charlotte. 

Lexi Zenk, St. Anthony’s, Sr.

The three-year varsity player had an incredible 78% save percentage last year and the North Carolina commit is one of the highest-ranked goalies in the country. Zenk’s combination of athleticism, quick reflexes, and ability to anticipate the opponent's shots separates her from other elite goalies on Long Island.