Rockin' Mules move above .500

Like any young team, Malverne/East Rockaway has experienced some growing pains on the girls’ soccer pitch. The Rockin’ Mules are doing a nice job at taking care of business against teams that may not be as talented, however, they’ve been unable to find what it takes to knock off playoff-caliber opponents.

Malverne/East Rockaway (4-3-1 overall, 4-3 in Conference A-V) recently showed its dominance over a program that’s in the building stage when it went on the road and defeated Westbury 5-0. Sophomore Erica Acampora scored the first of her two goals just 15 seconds into the match, and the Rockin’ Mules never looked back.

Malverne/East Rockaway also got a pair of goals from sophomore Rachel Putelo, the team’s leading scorer, and a tally from sophomore Jessica Beauchesne. Sophomore Sarah Saldana added two assists, and sophomore keeper Jennifer Dalton earned the save. The win ended a two-game losing streak.

Head coach Joe Lores expected an up-and-down season from a team that has just three seniors. “We lost our entire starting defensive unit, and our goalie,” Lores said. “We’ve yet to find a way to knock off one of the teams that is ahead of us, but that will come in time. It’s a matter of getting more consistent, growing as a team, and learning to trust teammates on the field. That comes with experience.”

The Rockin’ Mules won their first three matches of the season before dropping a 2-0 heartbreaker to undefeated Locust Valley. In an opening day 4-1 home victory over Lawrence, junior captain Jaelyn Chinchilla scored twice, and Putelo and senior captain Carla Amaya added goals to lead Malverne/East Rockaway. Acampora had 10 saves to earn the win. 

Next up was Roosevelt. The Rockin’ Mules scored all five of their goals in the first half, three by Putelo, and cruised to a 5-0 win. The winning ways continued when Putelo, Saldana, and sophomore Samantha Bruzzo each found the back of the net twice in a 7-0 rout of Westbury. 

Malverne/East Rockaway has had difficulty scoring against more established programs. An injury to Chinchilla, one that may keep her out the remainder of the season, has been difficult to overcome. 

The defensive unit of senior captain Danielle Beauchesne, sophomore Kristen Mihalich, junior sweeper Teniola Olafuyi, and junior Katherine Alvarado has gotten more cohesive as the season has gone along. Sophomore Abby Blessington and senior Katelyn Maldonado have also played roles on defense.

With Chinchilla hurt, Blessington has stepped into the center midfielder role. Bruzzo, sophomore Samantha Partos, and Amaya have done a nice job in the middle of the field for the Rockin’ Mules.

Lores thinks his team is on the right track. “As we gain experience, we’ll figure out how to deal with and overcome difficult stretches,” Lores said. “We just need to stick together, get a little more aggressive, and play with a little more confidence.”

Malverne/East Rockaway will travel to Lawrence on Thursday for a 4:30 p.m. start.