Kayla Saager-Beckley, former college soccer standout, pro player from East Islip, dies at 30

A former college soccer standout from East Islip died unexpectedly last week in Tulsa, Oklahoma, according to Binghamton University Athletics and University of Tulsa head football coach Tre Lamb.

Kayla Saager-Beckley, whose husband, John Beckley, is the Tulsa football team's outside linebackers coach, died on the morning of Sept. 9, Lamb said on Monday during his weekly news conference. She was 30 and pregnant with the couple’s first child, a daughter they named Sawyer. The cause of death has not been publicly disclosed.

"She was working out, 10 minutes later she was found unresponsive," Lamb said. "It’s been a really hard week for him [Beckley], for us as a staff, our coaches’ wives."

Saager-Beckley’s journey as a soccer standout began at East Islip High School. Stephen Restivo, the athletic director of the East Islip School District, remembered Saager-Beckley as "a great athlete, even better kid" who excelled academically as well as athletically.

"She was just an outstanding asset to the school and community," he said in an interview with Newsday. "She made everybody better around her."

After stints at North Carolina State and West Virginia, Saager-Beckley returned to New York to attend Binghamton University. According to a statement issued last week by Binghamton, Saager-Buckley scored 22 goals in two seasons (2017-18) and was "one of the most feared strikers to don a Binghamton uniform."

Saager-Beckley served as Binghamton’s captain and was named a two-time all-region player and 2017 America East Striker of the Year.

The statement from Binghamton called her a team leader who laid the foundation for the program’s recent success. The Bearcats, who had finished last in the conference, went 11-4-4 after Saager-Beckley joined the team and won a share of the America East regular season title.

"Binghamton women's soccer is profoundly saddened by the passing of Kayla Saager-Beckley," head coach Neel Bhattacharjee said in a statement. "Kayla was a dangerous and dynamic forward with a true gift for finding the back of the net, and her contributions helped elevate the competitiveness and stature of our program. To this day we stand on her shoulders. Beyond the field, she was known for her big heart and her deep love of family."

After graduating with a degree in sociology from Binghamton, Saager-Beckley played professional soccer in the Czech Republic. She then worked on the staff of Troy University in Alabama, where she earned a master’s degree in health and physical education.

Saager-Beckley later worked as a college soccer scout and recruiter. She moved to Tulsa and married Beckley in June. Besides her husband, she is survived by her parents, Ron and Noranne, of East Islip, and her sisters, Rachel Norris, of East Meadow, and Veronica Saager, of Northport.

Tulsa’s players will wear helmet stickers honoring Saager-Beckley during Saturday’s home game against East Texas A&M, Lamb said.

The East Islip High School girls soccer team is also planning to honor Saager-Beckley during its home match on Tuesday against Deer Park, Restivo said.

A funeral Mass remembering Saager-Beckley and Sawyer will be celebrated at St. Mary's Church in East Islip at 10:15 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 26.