Port Washington field hockey's Jackson Byer goes from stopping goals to delivering them
Jackson Byer of Port Washington keeps her eye on the play during a Nassau League II field hockey game against Locust Valley on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026 in Locust Valley. Credit: Dawn McCormick
Sometimes, the best way to learn an offense is to be on the other side of it.
Port Washington’s Jackson Byer started her field hockey career as a goalkeeper. On Saturday, she scored the lone goal to help her team beat Locust Valley, 1-0, on the road in Nassau II field hockey.
“The goalie plays such an important position on the field, and when I was a goalie, I had to figure out where to be and what to look for in an offense,” Byer said. “Being on the other side of it and scoring the goals feels very good.”
The first half was scoreless before Port Washington found the back of the cage. Morgan Gentry found Byer on the right post off a penalty corner and Byer turned and sent a push over the goal line to put the Vikings in the lead with 2:03 remaining in the third quarter.
Coach Amanda Gargiulo said the tally is a testament to Byer’s role on the team.
“She is just a ball of energy,” Gargiulo said. “Whether she starts the first minute or comes off the bench in the third quarter, she is fire on the field. She is all over the place, she knows exactly where to cut and move and she’s a huge part of our team.”
Locust Valley (2-3) had a strong offensive showing, totaling seven shots on goal to Port Washington’s two. The Falcons dominated possession in the fourth quarter, but Port Washington (4-1) settled in defensively to keep them from tying the score.
Midfielder Lyla Grosso said that defensive effort came from all over the field.
“We tried to really keep our midfielders in front of the ball when it was in our half,” Grosso said. “That way, we could use [the midfielders] to big ball it up to our center forwards to get possession back.”
“We’ve been talking all week about how we have to play all 11 of us on the field together," Gargiulo said. "Our goal was a total team effort. Getting the ball down the field, getting a corner, we read the corner perfectly. I couldn’t have asked for them to work any harder.”
Tess Ferguson is a reporter on Newsday's high school sports staff. She joined the team after graduating with a journalism degree from Ithaca College in 2025.
