Lady Bulldogs in rally mode

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Two days after rallying from a two-goal deficit at Roslyn to earn a non-league tie, Hewlett’s girls’ soccer team completed a big comeback to edge Conference AB-5 rival Valley Stream South, 3-2, on Sept. 22 at Ogden Elementary School.

The Lady Bulldogs were in a two-goal hole after just 15 minutes but found the net three times in a 13-minute span to up their record to 2-3-2 overall; 2-1 in conference play.

“It’s a good feeling,” Hewlett coach Gil Kreiss said. “To score three times, all in the same half, was wild. I’m proud of the way the girls battled back.”

The winning goal, which occurred with just over two minutes remaining in the first half, came on a breakaway off the foot of sophomore Hassena Lamounsey, a recent addition from the JV squad. She controlled a long clearing kick from senior goalkeeper Nathalie Nidetch and drilled a shot into the top left corner. Lamounsey had tied the game in the 30th minute, five minutes after Kylie Halpern got the Lady Bulldogs on the scoreboard.

“I knew she had speed and isn’t afraid of contact,” Kreiss said of Lamounsey. “She’s been getting a lot of scoring chances, and she’ll be up with us for the rest of the year.”

Lamounsey had an assist in her first game Sept. 19 at Locust Valley after getting the call up to varsity. Senior Gabrielle Korin, the team’s center-forward and an offensive target, injured an ankle in the previous game but is expected back next week. “She’s a big piece to the puzzle,” Kreiss said of Korin. Halpern, sophomore Katherine Sossan, who had the lone goal in Hewlett’s win over Mineola in the conference opener, and Carli Green, who scored against West Hempstead in a 1-1 tie, are the other forwards. “We’ve been starting three forwards and it’s been pretty successful,” Kreiss said.

The coach said having Nidetch as the last line of defense, and junior Sydney Corda as the anchor in the midfield, gave him the confidence to go with three middies and a flat four defense. 

Nidetch, a four-year starter headed to Northeastern University, earned All-State honors in 2013. She’s made 41 saves in seven games so far this year and has a shutout against Mineola. “She’s got all the tools,” Kreiss said. “She’s super aggressive and a great communicator.”

Corda, also a four-year starter, always finds an extra burst of energy, Kreiss said. “She’s strong-willed and tough to beat one-on-one,” he noted. “She sees the field really well, defends and distributes.”

Sophomore twins Alex Levy and Kim Levy, along with junior Casey Levy (no relation), are doing a nice job at outside midfield, Kreiss said.

There’s depth and a mix of veterans and underclassmen on defense. Seniors Anna Maiorano and Ariel Purnsrian, junior Natalie Cohen, sophomores Gillian Moser and Samantha Cohen, and freshman Michelle Pham all contribute.

“We’re capable of winning the conference,” Kreiss said. “We have to stay healthy and play with a lot of energy.”