Ohlmiller’s willingness to learn – even watching the men’s game, in which coach Spallina is heavily involved as the coach of MLL’s New York Lizards – proved to be beneficial. If you scrolled through her Instagram feed, you’ll find videos of Lizards attackman Rob Pannell and Charlotte Hounds attackmen Joey Sankey. Taking cues from their creativity and Dowd’s signature moves – plus her family’s love of surfing – led to numerous behind-the-back and #SCTop10-worthy plays.
“I love learning new ways to play the game because there’s so much creativity in the game,” Ohlmiller said. “I think that’s ultimately a tribute to it being the Creator’s Game. The people who play the game the most creatively come from that Native American background. That’s something I try to throw into my game.”
In 2018, Ohlmiller will continue her three-hour morning workouts with her sister, cut in line to get more reps in and meet with Spallina after every practice because “she’s in a lot of ways an assistant coach for me,” Spallina said.
She’ll come home for Sunday dinners with her family, who lives just 30 minutes South on Long Island, because it’s important to maintain that bond as “Long Island’s team,” Ohlmiller said.
She’ll also “go the extra mile,” says Taryn Ohlmiller, to sign autographs for the young fans in Kenneth P. LaValle stadium, where she once sat.
“That’s a huge part of why I play the game,” Ohlmiller said. “It’s for those little girls. I might not have been a little girl when I came to watch the national championship here at Stony Brook in 2012, but I was still looking up to those girls who were out on the field. It’s amazing to have the roles reversed.”
It was in 2012 that Kylie Ohlmiller received one of her most prized possessions – a picture she snapped with Dowd at the championship game.
Now, a picture with No. 17 could mean the world to another little girl.
“The Michael Jordan factor, as I always say, is that player who is really good, but can they raise the level of everyone around them?” Spallina said. “We don’t have any of the top 50 recruits in the country, so when you look at what Kylie’s done, she gives every kid that hope. … I have a fifth grade Yellow Jackets team and every single one of them think my girls walk on water and Kylie is Superwoman, so I’ve seen the immediate impact.”