Hewlett full of young talent

Two years from now, Hewlett’s girls’ lacrosse roster will be loaded with seniors. This spring, the starting lineup for the Lady Bulldogs consists of just a trio of twelfth graders along with an abundance of youth.

“We’ve got such a young team,” coach Pat Gormley said. “Some of the turnovers we’re making are signs we’ve got some jelling to do. We need to get everyone on offense on the same page and do a better job of protecting the ball.”

The Lady Bulldogs, coming off a 4-11 campaign, remained in Conference II despite a youth-filled roster that includes all three starting defenders plus goaltender Gillian Moser. They lost a tough 12-10 decision to Hicksville in the conference opener and will also face Plainedge, Long Beach, Oyster Bay, Port Washington, Seaford, Locust Valley, MacArthur and Calhoun.

“We’ve got a full week of practice ahead of us,” Gormley said. “We’re going to start working on a zone defense. A lot of teams are using it, and our girls are doing a really nice job sliding and filling in the gaps.”

Moser, who split time last season, is much more settled and confident in the full-time role, Gormley said. She made 14 saves in a 9-5 victory over Long Island Lutheran on March 30. “Gillian has a lot of potential,” Gormley said. “She’s a smart player who’s benefitting from last year’s experience and communicating better.”

The defense in front of Mosher has come together rather quickly, Gormley said, despite some new faces. Sophomore Nina Squicciarini, a third-year starter, is a converted midfielder who’s becoming a real leader on defense. Sophomore Michelle Gaykov, up from JV, is the other crease defender who usually makes the initial outlet pass to get the transition game going. Sophomore Erin Schechter, another former midfielder, plays an important role at the top of the zone, while junior Alle Tangney provides a spark off the bench.

In the midfield, senior captain Anna Maiorano can faceguard anyone, Gormely said, and junior Casey Levy lends defensive support. Junior Sydney Corda is the fastest player on the team and becoming a bigger part of the transition game, while sophomore Louisa Evola is getting used to the speed of varsity after a strong year on JV.

In the center of the midfield is sophomore Kristen DeCicco, who has had the hot hand on offense in several games. An All-Conference selection, she scored five goals against Lutheran, four against Wheatley and had a hat trick against Baldwin. “She takes almost every draw and is a very good shooter,” Gormley said.

The attack features senior captain Carli Green, junior captain Olivia Epstein and sophomore Kylie Halpern. Epstein already has a pair of five-goal efforts, while Halpern found the net four times against Hicksville and Division. The group will be bolstered soon by the return of senior captain Gabrielle Korin, who is almost fully recovered from ankle surgery.

The Lady Bulldogs won two of their first six overall. “It was a good sign that we stayed close with Hicksville,” Gormley noted.