Field hockey playoffs for Clarke

Clarke returned to the Nassau Class B girls field hockey playoff tournament last Saturday after a one-year absence, and despite the 4-1 loss to No. 4 Cold Spring Harbor in the first round, it's hard to ignore the impact the experience had on the large number of Lady Rams expected to return in 2011.

"I think they know what the feeling is now and want that feeling back," coach Leslie Murray said of her team, which finished 7-4-2. "I think they're the type of group that can do it."

Freshman goalie Amanda Gargiulo stopped 10 of the 14 shots she faced in the playoff matchup and instantly became a difference-maker in her first varsity campaign. Tall and athletic, Gargiulo excels at positioning herself in the net and taking away any favorable angles shooters may have. "It's such a pressure position," Murray said. "When you come up [against] tougher teams, even for a freshmen, that was good [experience]. She's so self-motivated."

Having the freshman as a last-line of defense worked wonders for Clarke's backliners, including senior Jelyssa Fuertes, senior sweeper Kerri Robertson, and junior Jen Raichel. The three, along with Gargiulo keyed a season-long steadiness that resulted in nine of the Lady Rams’ 13 opponents being limited to one goal or shutout altogether. In fact, thanks to the strong, steady play of the defense, Murray was often able to move Fuertes, one of the team's fastest players, up to forward in an effort to spur the offense. "She's quick in transition, and she so fast that she could get back anyway," Murray noted.

The midfield, anchored by senior Allie Knorr and juniors Nicole Zaino and Caroline Kosiba, contributed on both ends of the field especially in the transition game when Clarke aimed to flip the field and kick the offense into high gear.

Senior attack Sarah Garcia led the team with six goals, while senior Evelyn Yeung chipped in with five. Senior AnnMarie Zaccheo, a returning starter, like Yeung, paced Clarke with three assists. Zaccheo also scored the team's only goal in the second half against Cold Spring Harbor. "We tried to find the right [combinations]," Murray said, also noting the rotation of juniors Demi Shanahan and Nicole Gibaldi into the attack flow as well. "We would float in other girls depending [on the situation]."

Moving forward, the potential for even bigger steps exists thanks to the strong showing of Clarke's JV team that lost only two games this season. "We have some really strong [returning] players and a strong group to pull [from]," Murray said.