Carey wins conference, playoff game

The glowing 2022 campaign for Carey’s girls’ soccer team has been topped by this year’s version. 

Carey, under third-year coach Chris Posillico, is continuing the renaissance in 2023. 

Before last season’s playoff berth, Carey’s program had struggled. Its 11-1 record last season vaulted the Seahawks into the playoffs for the first time in over 10 years. 

Now Carey has done one better. The Franklin Square school posted a 12-1-1 record and clinched the Conference 4 championship by winning the regular-season finale, 3-0, over Hewlett on Oct. 19.

The Seahawks had outscored its opponents, 37-3, and hosted its first playoff game in more than 20 years. That came last Saturday when Carey took care of business in shutting out Great Neck South, 3-0, to move onto the second round. 

Posillico thought the team could match last season’s success but not like this. “I definitely was looking for this to be a good year,’’ Posillico said. “I didn’t know it would go as well as it did.’’

The aesthetically pleasing style has Posillico most proud. He’s anti-British when it comes to soccer tactics. He’s all about short passes to attain the attack. 

“We do a lot of practicing and I’ve s never once done a drill where we’ve done a long ball,’’ Posillico said. “Our stats will show a team with 70 passes and we’ll have 400 to 500. My girls, they know where each other is and pass the ball.  They play a lot of give-and-go. We’re finding each other.’’

Along with the 35-goal differential has come 11 shutouts. The prominent backline features captain Gabriella Jacob, Krista Devito and freshman anchor, Amelia Kalamaris, who plays more of a midfield role and scored a playoff goal against Great Neck South. “She’s a phenomenal player,’’ Posillico said. “Her statistics aren’t flashy. It’s not a flashy position. She’s involved in every play, goes end to end. We always look to her on the field for support as the safe pass. She’ll always protect the ball. ‘’

The two snipers are junior Toni Flaherty, who has 9 goals.5 assists  and an eighth-grader Laura Maya, who notched her 7th goal in the Hewlett victory. 

Christina Genovese is the attacking midfielder, notching 4 goals and 2 assists and a playoff score vs. Great Neck South. “On my team nobody’s stats jump out because everyone contributes,’ Posillico said. 

Well, the goalie’s stats do pop up as netminder Vanessa DeCastro has a save percentage of .965 with 57 stops in 2023. Her lone defeat was no fault of her own, coming in a 1-0 loss to Roslyn. The schools split the season series. 

“We had most of the possession - 17 shots on goal,’’ Posillico said. “We had a lot of shots right at (the goalie) but it’s a game we deserved to win. We just couldn’t  put the ball in the back of the net.’’

Posillico had been at the school three years before he was tabbed head coach. He spent that summer reviewing a host of formations before selecting the ones that would maximize his talent.