STONY BROOK, N.Y. — If you scroll through the Stony Brook men's and women's lacrosse rosters and see a Sabella and a Pickel named on each roster, no, you're not feeling a sense of déjà vu.
 
The Seawolves have two sets of siblings playing on their lacrosse programs: Michael and Rayna Sabella and Chris and Meghan Pickel.
 
Of the Sabellas, Rayna, a junior and captain on the women's team, is the elder, while Michael Sabella is in the midst of his freshman year. Chris Pickel Jr., a senior captain on the men's team, is the eldest of the Pickels, while Meghan is a freshman.
 
For Michael, Rayna's connection to Stony Brook was a big part of why he committed to the Seawolves.
 
"She enjoyed Stony Brook from Day 1, and it left a lasting impression on my mind when it came time to make my decision," Michael said. "Also, the way she would come home appealed a lot to me. It's almost like Stony Brook was a home away from home for her and that really caught my attention."
 
The Sabellas hail from Mount Sinai, which is 16 miles east of campus.

As Rayna began her collegiate career, she would often make trips home to see Michael and her siblings play and talk about how much she enjoyed being a Seawolf.
 
"I think it's awesome that Mike and I not only go to the same school but are also both on the lacrosse teams," Rayna said. "We have the ability to make an impact on the men's and women's lacrosse programs at the same time. I still get a little too excited when I unexpectedly see him on campus."
 
While the Rayna had a direct effect on Michael's decision to commit, the story is not the same for the Pickels.

Meghan's decision to come to Stony Brook was based on the fact that the school had both a coach and an academic program that would set her up for future success.
 
"Honestly, Chris didn't have much of an effect on me when choosing Stony Brook," Meghan said. "My overall decision coming here was to play for Coach Spallina while pursuing my career in becoming a nurse."
 
Despite Meghan choosing to come to Stony Brook on her own terms, the Pickels are reaping the benefits of knowing they have a family member within close proximity who is going through the same experience as they are.
 
"It's nice being able to help her out because I was in her shoes three years ago," Chris said. "I know exactly what she's going through and how challenging it is to balance everything. At the end of the day, she's my best friend and I wouldn't trade going to school with my sister for anything. I'm grateful for every moment we share together."