A lacrosse stick in her hand as soon as she was old enough to grasp it, Sydney Cowell has always been a student of the game.

She was just a small girl when she would take her tiny stick outside to the yard and toss the ball around with her mother Chrissy.

It seemed natural and even at a young age Cowell embodied the nimble, skilled and curious player she is now.

“She was always highly coordinated and very fast,” Chrissy Cowell said. “She took to it really easily and really naturally … kind of always a couple steps ahead of everybody else.”

Cowell, who just finished her sophomore year at Old Lyme High School, has always had an eagerness to learn. After picking up organized lacrosse in second grade, Cowell has continued to display an admirable curiosity and exuberance for the sport, carrying her scholarly attitude with her from coach to coach.

This season, Cowell, an attack, earned Class S first team all-state honors in leading Old Lyme (18-3) to its second straight state semifinal berth, finishing with a team-high 106 goals and 25 assists. Cowell was named The Day's 2015 All-Area Girls' Lacrosse Player of the Year.

With four older cousins, three of whom played lacrosse in college, Cowell, too, wanted to be involved.

So after introducing her to the sport, Chrissy Cowell became her daughter’s first coach, teaching her for the next seven years.

“She had a big impact on the way I played today,” Cowell said, later adding that her mother would always provide her with the honest feedback nobody else could.

In fifth grade, Cowell joined the Nor’easter Lacrosse club where she met the club’s owner, co-director and one her favorite coaches in Clarissa Clarke.

Cowell plays for the club year round, and has learned improved stick skills and quickness under Clarke’s tutelage. Her talent ballooned and Cowell became a sponge with a yearn to learn about both her game and the sport in general.

“She’s one of the most coachable kids we’ve had … she asks a lot of questions,” Clarke said.

With Clarke’s aid, a new sense of focus and passion quickly ensued. Cowell had held a stick in her hands for years, but sometimes, it seemed like she was just going through the motions.

“She was out there playing and doing well but sort of like, ‘what are we having for dinner?’” Chrissy Cowell said.

Now, there’s a better sense of direction and an evident increase in maturity.

“That’s kind of how she has been able to grow so quickly and her skill set has escalated,” Chrissy Cowell said, speaking of the Nor’easter club.

When Old Lyme High School’s lacrosse team suffered numerous injuries to key upperclassmen this season, head coach Emily Macione witnessed Cowell’s enthusiasm firsthand and watched as the sophomore eagerly stepped into the spotlight to help fill the void.

“She’s not afraid to be a leader when she needs to be,” Macione said. “Some people will sometimes hesitate … they wanna pass off the ball and not be the person that takes the hard shot. She embraces that.”

Sometimes, Macione thinks Cowell even surprises herself with some of the things she does on the field.

She remembered one goal Cowell scored against Morgan toward the end of the regular season. Old Lyme had the ball in transition and Cowell parked herself in front of the net with her back to the goalie. She caught a pass over her left shoulder and, in one fell swoop, turned her body 180 degrees, firing the ball into the back of the net.

It was exceptional and prompted Macione to later ask if anyone caught it on tape, which, to her despair, no one had.

“She made it look easy,” Macione said.

Since she first dragged her stick out to the yard, Cowell has completely transformed her game. She knows how to place a shot where she wants and can sense when to slow the pace of the game. She was named a second team all-state selection as a freshman at Old Lyme.

But other things haven't changed, like her inquisitive personality and eagerness to be like her older cousins.

“I think it’s just her determination,” Clarke said. “She is just completely determined to excel and be great.”

Now, Cowell has her mind set on something else ... and it’s not what she’s having for dinner.

“Definitely wanna pursue Division I (college),” Cowell said. “That’s my dream.”

The Day's 2015 All-Area Girls' Lacrosse Team

Player of the Year - Sydney Cowell (Old Lyme)

Attack - Ellie Phetteplace (Ledyard), Michelina Pinto (Fitch), Catie Quaratella (Old Lyme)

Midfield - Margot Calmar (Stonington), Steph deLaforcade (East Lyme), Belle Kenny (East Lyme), Brooke Scahill (Ledyard), Sloane Sweitzer (Old Lyme)

Defense - Jacey Miller (Waterford), Julia Strycharz (Old Lyme), Casey Williams (Stonington)

Goalie - Alex Rose (East Lyme)

Utility - Megan Sturm (Waterford)