Baldwin aims for late surge

A new-look roster bolstered by the addition of four sophomores at forward did little to change the results for Baldwin in field hockey. The Lady Bruins (5-4-1 overall) remain a team to reckon with in Nassau County. They defeated Sewanhaka, 2-0, Oct. 13 and put themselves in position for the second or third seed in the upcoming postseason tournament.

“I’m very excited about how far we’ve come from the beginning of the season until now,” Baldwin coach Mike Hoover said. “It could have gone the other way, but they’ve been great. They are on the right track. We have a bunch of girls that know what it takes.”

Sophomore forward Sam Nelson broke a scoreless tie in the second-half with her team-high fifth goal, and junior Emilia Moore added her first career varsity score in the win. “We had a lot of trouble putting the ball in the cage,” Hoover said. “But that’s what makes field hockey great. You’ve got to finish the plays.”

Baldwin battled Port Washington after presstime with the winner securing the No. 2 seed and the homefield advantage. The two teams are likely to square off in the opening round of the playoffs later this month.

Nelson’s score against the Lady Indians snapped a tie with classmate Christina Daley for the team-lead. The two team up on the left side with sophomores Wendy Markert and Victoria Whittemann on the right side. Moore and senior Maryann McNally are also part of the mix up front. “They have become the pulse of the team,” Hoover said of the sophomores. “They have a lot of energy and a great chemistry among the four of them.”

Helping generate scoring opportunities has been a strong line of midfielders led by junior Amanda Clemens, a three-year varsity starter, junior Casey Barberio and sophomore Caroline Roman, who plays on the right wing. Clemens has a hand in a variety of roles, including penalty corners, and is a central figure in the Lady Bruins up-tempo offense. “Wherever the action is, she is,” Hoover said of Clemens. “She’s involved with everything.”