Rockin' Mules pile up goals

A high-powered offense has helped Malverne-East Rockaway hold its own in Conference V ABC girls’ lacrosse, and coming out of last week’s Spring Break, the hope was for an even bigger push forward in the win column.

The Lady Rockin’ Mules have won two of their first six games, and narrowly missed out on a third victory in a 14-13 overtime loss to West Hempstead on Mar. 26. “We have eight returning girls to a roster of 16,” first-year coach Christine Connell said. “But we’re very young and have a big sophomore class.”

The offensive fireworks have been led by a number of players, including senior Nikki Roeill, a low attack who scored seven times and added an assist in a 16-9 win at Elmont on Mar. 29. Sophomore attack Halle Johnson, in her second varsity campaign, had three goals and an assist in that win. “We want to keep the offense moving,” Connell said. “That’s how we’ve gotten a lot of our goals.

Junior center-midfielder Taylor Cussen is a key playmaker and set-up person in the balanced, yet explosive offense, but she was in on the scoring parade with six goals in the loss to the Lady Rams. Senior attack Cathy Doodnauth provides punch off the bench, while sophomore midfielder Melissa Barto has been a big part of the strong transition game. Senior attack Brittney Willis, sophomore Rebecca Ingenito and freshman midfielder Katherine Umana have also contributed. “The goals have been spread out among a number of girls,” Connell said. “It spreads confidence to the whole team. Instead of relying on just one person it gets everyone involved in the game and the wins.”

Senior midfielder Danielle Hinds, one of three co-captains along with Roeill and senior goalie Rosemary Vargas, is a strong asset on the defensive side of the field along with sophomore Alejandra Lopez, a first-year varsity player.

Vargas is a strong communicator with excellent field vision that helps her direct the young defense in front of her. Senior Rebecca Canales, like sophomore Erin Foley, played attack last season. Both moved to the backline this spring, where they now work with sophomore Naomi Jackson and freshmen Kim McCann and Jaelyn Chinchilla. A multi-sport athlete, Chinchilla’s experience on defense translates well on the lacrosse field, while Jackson has gotten up to speed at the varsity level quickly.

“We work better in man-to-man [sets],” Connell said, of her young, but improving defense. “A lot of the [girls] come from other sports and understand the concepts.”