STEVE SINISKI
East Meadow made another run through the Nassau Class AA girls’ soccer playoffs last season, falling one goal short of Baldwin in the semifinals. But the Lady Jets weren’t built for a simple one-and-done playoff push. Instead, they were built for the long haul and return a roster loaded with both talent and experience, as only two seniors graduated.
“Overall we have a lot of talent and a lot of athleticism, and I’d like to think we have a lot of experience at this point,” second-year coach Adam Hananel said. “It’s all systems go to try and win a championship here.”
The strength lies on the back line, where senior All-State sweeper Gillian Gross returns along with her sister, senior Courtney Gross. Senior Shannon McGuinness is going to see time at stopper and possibly outside back depending on the situation, while senior Colleen Schweiger’s addition to outside back could ultimately boost the offense’s production. Junior Luisa Echeverry played out of position all season on defense but moves up to forward where Hannanel hopes the switch leads to more goals. “She’s the type of girl who will go for the bicycle kick and the header,” he said. “She’s not afraid. She’s a good asset to have up top.”
A number of players are likely to split time between forward and midfield, including juniors Gabriella Fuduli and Ashley Guerrero. Freshman Jacqueline Tortora made her mark as a finisher during summer league play and may also find herself in the middle of the attack. “We should definitely be a little more precise in finishing scoring up top,” Hananel said. “We’re going to create more with the talent up top.”
When Fuduli and Guerrero slide back to midfield, they’ll be playing alongside East Meadow’s other All-State player, senior Jessica Widmann. A stopper last season, Widmann’s moving up to midfield to become involved with the offense. Senior Christina Tesoriero and Marissa Walsh, both part of an impressive group of juniors, solidify the unit. “A lot of the girls came up at a young age,” Hananel said. “Last year six starters were sophomores and they’re all back.”
Junior goalie Brianna Borresen was the only player at her position on last year’s roster, but there’s some competition for playing time with the transfer of senior Brittany Anghel. Prior to returning to East Meadow after a playing on varsity as an eighth grader, Anghel logged time outside the district. “She’s extremely athletic,” Hananel said of Anghel. “She could be a field player. She’s tall, has muscle and is a vocal presence. We’re going to look to get both as much time as possible.”
The Lady Jets open their Conference I home schedule against Oceanside on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. and host Calhoun on Monday at 4:15 p.m. “Hopefully [last season] will prove to be a valuable experience,” Hananel said. “Sometimes they say you have to lose to win. We’ll see if it gave them some extra [motivation].”
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