Baldwin's versatility becomes crucial

Baldwin gritted out its second Conference AA-II girls' soccer victory in three games, blanking Long Beach, 1-0, last Thursday night but injuries to several core players threaten to add speed bumps to the road ahead. Senior forward Ayanna Smith, an All-Class returnee and a speedy offensive weapon, went down with a foot injury 35 minutes into the win over the Lady Marines.

Freshman forward Nicole Sheintul, like Smith, is expected to contribute offensively and did exactly that by beating Long Beach keeper Cathryna Hughes with 19 minutes left for the game’s only goal.

“I am happy with the way the girls stepped up in the absence of [Ayanna] Smith, [junior Caitlin] Airey, [sophomore Jade] Aponte and [sophomore Marissa] Rhoden,” Lady Bruins coach Darius Burton said, noting the already lengthy list of players that have missed time. “I’m always a believer that soccer players should be able to play any position.”

Senior Nikkia Billouin, normally the stopper and defender of the opposing team’s top forward or midfielder, is one of the many versatile Baldwin players Burton is hoping can help steady the team as it weathers the injuries. She was moved up a line to Baldwin’s midfield for the Long Beach game, where she was effective in keeping the Lady Marines Emily Agudelo off the scoreboard. “She did what she had to do,” Burton said.

The move of Billouin, an All-Class returnee, could be one of several to the lineup as the team deals with the early rash of injuries. Sophomore right midfielder Kelsey Cohen, who assisted on Sheintul’s goal, also had a pair of her own scores in the first four games. Junior Alyssa Gangi has played well at center midfield, particularly on the offensive side of the field, while Burton has used a committee of Lady Bruins (2-2 overall, 2-1 Conference AA-II) to handle the defensive assignments on the line.