Setauket Natives Help Strengthen Duke Lacrosse Season

Rewind to Monday, March 5, when Duke visited Stony Brook for a women's lacrosse game that was decided by a goal that Makenzie Hommel scored off of a pass from Kerrin Maurer. The pair did it again in a win over Virginia Tech in their next game.

The Duke women's lacrosse team is 8-3, and along the way, Maurer and Hommel – who both hail from Setauket – have been a force for the team, ranked No. 7 in the NCAA by LaxPower as of March 19.

"They bring a great little one-two punch to our team," said Kerstin Kimel, Duke's head coach. "On the field I think that they are able to have a little connection. Off the field they bring a little bit of fun to our team as well."

Hommel, a junior attacker, has amassed 21 points on 15 goals and 6 assists in the team's first 10 games of the season, all of which she started.

Kimel said Hommel has a "consistent ability to score." "She continues to be a player that we can turn to to make significant contributions. She’s the kind of kid who has a nose for the goal," Kimel said."

Maurer, a freshman attacker, has 36 points on 18 goals and 18 assists after starting the team's first 10 games as well.

Kimel described Maurer's development this year as "fantastic." "Her mental approach to the game is what really impressed me," she said. "Kerrin can be really hard on herself but she is able to deal with pressure situations really well."

Hommel and Maurer met as athletes at Ward Melville High School in 2007, when Hommel was a junior and Maurer a freshman. They didn't have the chance to play together, though, as Hommel sat out that season with an injury and Maurer transferred to St. Anthony's the following year. But now, the two aren't just teammates; they are friends.

En route to Stony Brook for that March 5 game, which Duke won 9-8, Maurer and Hommel got to laugh over the places they saw along the way: places they both knew from growing up in Setauket. Both said that playing at LaValle Stadium that day, with their families and friends in the stands, was a comfort to them during the game.

"It’s funny that we’re both from the same area," Maurer said. "It’s good in that we come from an area where the style of play is generally the same. And [Hommel] has my back. Coming from the same town is really great."

Hommel agreed.

"It’s fun to have that person close to home," Hommel said. "Someone who understands your hometown and where you’re coming from."