Lady Colts picking up steam

Calhoun’s had some hard luck on the soccer field through the first month of the 2015 season, as injuries piled up early and the team suffered through three one-goal losses as part of a seven-game winless streak (0-6-1). But the Lady Colts have persevered, rebounding from a hard-fought loss to defending county champion Massapequa on Sept. 25, to post their first victory, a 3-1 decision over MacArthur last Monday.

Senior stopper Marianne Cassisi scored a goal and assisted on another. Sophomore midfielder Katie Healy scored her team-high fourth goal of the season, while senior co-captain Taylor Iacono scored her third goal. Healy has had an immediate impact in her first varsity season after using her tall frame to score three times for the JV as a freshman, all on headers. “When we play to our feet that’s our strength,” coach Lori Biscardi said. “We have to capitalize on our opportunities.”

The loss of two starters—junior center midfielder Lauren Marinello, a returning All-County honoree, and sophomore forward Ariel Tillman—put Calhoun behind the eight-ball but the Lady Colts, already a young team, are starting to jell. “We played our best against Massapequa but the score doesn’t reflect that. [The Lady Chiefs] capitalized on opportunities. We had just as many opportunities, we just didn’t finish.”

Indeed, Massapequa put eight shots on Calhoun’s two goalies, junior Gillian Stapler and Julia Miguel, and the Lady Colts tallied just as many shots. Staple has been elevated to the starting keeper role after seeing time last season and uses her tall frame to cover the entire net. “She’s so athletic and [has made] saves [on shots] that have gone towards the top right corner,” Biscardi said. “And she can easily reach the crossbar.”

The defense in front of Stapler includes senior Jackie Shand, sweeper Dana Brown, a junior co-captain, and sophomore stopper Amelia Seabold. Junior Morgan Connelly and a pair of freshmen—Maggie Joseph and Morgan Connelly—are in the rotation at outside back.

Junior Saffy Hughes-McTurk, who recently returned from an injury, had an assist in the win over the Lady Generals, and she’s part of a midfield unit that also includes freshmen Sarah Gallagher and Brittnay Munson. Now in her second varsity season, Munson plays one of the most important positions, center midfield, and uses her speed to beat opponents to the ball to gain possession. “She’s starting to become more vocal,” Biscardi said. “She’s gained so much confidence and is more of a playmaker.”

Iacono is the anchor of the frontline and works with several players in trying to generate goals. Sophomore Mia Advocate has a goal and an assist in the early part of her first varsity season. Juniors Callie Ganca and Olivia Sturiano have also contributed at forward.

Now at the halfway point of the Conference AA-I season, Biscardi and her new assistant Alexa Balestrieri are hoping the return of injured players and recent strong performances give Calhoun a push the second time through the schedule. “They were definitely frustrated but after the game with Massapequa they saw how well we played together,” Biscardi said. “We really were in the game.”