Baldwin faces challenging road

Graduating 11 contributors from last year’s playoff team could make for a challenging 2017 for Baldwin girls’ soccer, but coach Darius Burton likes the mix of veterans and underclassmen on a roster 19-deep.

“We’re pretty young overall, but we always compete,” Burton said after the Lady Bruins earned an impressive 4-1 home win over Plainview on Sept. 13. “Our defense has been strong so far and we’ll count on it to keep us in games,” he added. “Hopefully we’ll find a way to get or goal or two.”

Baldwin allowed just one goal in its first three games as new goalkeeper, sophomore Megan Doyle, posted a pair of shutouts. Doyle has big shoes to fill, replacing four-year starter Montia Moon, and comes off a solid season for the JV. “Megan has good instincts and moves well,” Burton said. “She’s looked more and more comfortable with each game. I’m very happy with how she’s playing and she’s only going to get better.”

Making Doyle’s transition smoother is the presence of senior captain Jenna Annecchiarico at sweeper. A fifth-year member of the varsity and an All-Class honoree last season, Annecchiarico will serve as the defensive anchor but also will see time at forward and midfield. “If we’re looking for an offensive spark, we’ll push Jenna up front,” Burton said. “She drew a couple of PKs in one game already.”

Senior Maggie Thibault cashed in one of those penalty kicks in Baldwin’s 2-0 win over Conference AA-II rival Herricks on Sept. 11 and has a team-leading six points (3 goals, 3 assists) through four games. Like Annecchiarico, she is an All-Class selection and a captain playing her fifth year of varsity soccer. “Maggie’s our best skill player and holds down the center-midfield,” Burton said. “She’s got an excellent shot and takes all of our set plays. She’s an unselfish playmaker who sees the field really well.”

Junior Nicolette Manzella is another important piece to the defensive puzzle. She’s a returning starter who knows the game well and is reliable, Burton said, and she’ll work at stopper primarily but shift to sweeper when Annecchiarico plays elsewhere. At fullback, senior Lauren Millwood brings varsity experience, while sophomore Breanna Lopez is up from the JV.

Nowhere is Baldwin’s youth more prominent than forward. Freshman Alyssa Hillien’s speed makes her dangerous and she’s already found the net twice, with goals against Herricks and in a 3-0 non-league win over Hewlett. “She’s probably our fastest kid,” said Burton, who also starts sophomore Victoria Gauthier.

Seniors Yoselin Benitez, a captain, and Aisling Geraghty, and freshman Carmela Pesantez start in the midfield. Geraghty, who’s aggressive on the ball, defends well and sends accurate crossing passes into the box, operates on the outside with Pesantez, a lefty. Benitez stepped into a bigger role this season after earning some starting assignments last fall. She opened the scoring in the win over Plainview.

“We’re in a difficult conference,” said Burton, whose team concludes the first voyage around the schedule next Monday when Valley Stream Central visits for a 4:30 p.m. start.