East Meadow picking up steam

East Meadow tackled a rough non-conference schedule in late March, but the Lady Jets are starting to pick up steam on the girls’ lacrosse field after a 12-11 win over Clarke last Friday.

The win, East Meadow’s first in four nonconference games, improved the team’s record to 3-4 overall (2-0 in Conference II), but more importantly, was the team’s third in the last four games. A roster loaded with experience — 12 seniors all see the field for stretches — has picked up its offensive game with 45 goals in the last four games, while the defense has held two of the last four opponents to a total of just seven scores.

“After the first couple of games we’re starting to put it together and are looking better now,” coach Jamie Lago said, noting that a 13-10 loss to Conference I’s Oceanside on April 2, seemed to be a turning point.

The bulk of the Lady Jets’ experience returns at attack and midfield, and the recent surge in scoring hasn’t been limited to one or two players. In the win over the Lady Rams, five different players scored at least two goals, with senior attack Emily Leeb and senior midfielder Erin Fowler each netting a team-high three. In an 8-4 Conference II win over Baldwin on April 6, five different players scored at least once, with Fowler again piling up a hat trick and a pair of assists. “We’re sharing goals, which is good because we have multiple options.”

Deep and versatile at both attack and midfield, East Meadow’s generating scoring opportunities from both levels of its offense. Senior Megan Bender has strong stick skills and works well at high attack, where her dodging skills often help her create a path to the net. Senior Jenny O’Leary and junior Gabrielle Piccolo can play both attack and midfield, while Fowler also handles the faceoffs and uses her height to convert scoring opportunities near the cage.