Future is bright for Hewlett

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Hewlett struggled to find the win column this spring against a tough set of Conference II girls’ lacrosse rivals, but coach Pat Gormley said when the youthful Lady Bulldogs played with confidence it made all the difference in the world.

“There’s a lot of talent on the roster, but we were young and sometimes timid,” Gormley said. “When we came out and played with confidence, we showed we could hang with most teams. The chemistry was there down the stretch and I think we’ll be able to build on it.”

Though Hewlett lost four of its last five and finished 3-13 overall, Gormley saw plenty of positive signs in three of its late-season defeats. “We had a nice win over Jericho and played strong in the second half in the losses to MacArthur, Calhoun and Seaford,” he explained. “In two of those games, we scored three goals in a minute. We just dug too deep of a hole in the first half both times.”

In a 12-9 defeat at MacArthur on April 29, Hewlett outscored the Lady Generals by a 7-2 margin in the second half. Sophomore Kylie Halpern scored five of her six goals in the second half. “Once she gets one in, she can get on a roll,” Gormley said. “When she’s picking her spots, she’s dangerous. And she’s more than just a finisher.”

Two days later, the Lady Bulldogs went back-and-forth with Calhoun but came up short in a 12-10 decision. Unlike the MacArthur and Seaford games, they played consistently well in each half and trailed only 4-3 at intermission. Junior Oliva Epstein had four goals and two assists, Halpern added three goals and four assists, and sophomore Kristen DeCiccio had a hat trick.

“We’ll look for Kylie and Olivia to control the offense up front next year,” Gormley said of the All-Conference selections.

Epstein scored six times to lead an 18-11 victory over Jericho on May 2. On the year she finished with 44 goals and 10 assists. “Olivia took on a leadership role and did a nice job keeping everyone focused,” said Gormley, who had only two senior starters—Anna Maiorano and Carli Green—after Gabi Korin missed most of the season with an injury.

Halpern, who led Hewlett in goals with 52 and also had 17 assists, found the net four times against Jericho. “We saw her ability last year in practice,” Gormley said. “When she’s shooting with accuracy, there’s no stopping her.”

DeCiccio, a midfielder, had two goals and six assists against Jericho and finished the campaign with 27 goals and 19 helpers. She earned All-County honors. “She handled all the draws and did a great job,” Gormley said. “She’s also one of our better shooters.”

The defense was led by sophomores Michelle Gaykov, Nina Squicciarini and Erin Schechter. Gaykov and Squicciarini were All-Conference. In goal, Gormley said sophomore Gillian Moser totaled 121 saves this spring and played a key role in the team’s rallies against MacArthur, Calhoun and Seaford. “Gillian’s a smart goalie with strong fundamentals,” he noted.