Clarke continues soccer success

With nine wins in its first 10 games, Clarke has continued its momentum from 2019 on the girls’ soccer pitch when it captured a dozen victories and finished conference runner-up to Valley Stream Central.

And while Central remained a thorn in the side of the Rams once again, handing them their only defeat, Clarke coach Becky Wachsberger was excited about last Friday’s 2-1 victory over the Eagles to even the season series.

“Our numbers are as high as they’ve been here,” Wachsberger said. “Central is the only team to beat us last season and this season. We’ve played some competitive and fun games. We have some young talent and I might request to move up one conference.”

One of Clarke’s many underclassmen is sophomore goalkeeper Kaitlyn Vo, who trained with Wachsberger for many years when she first began playing soccer. “She makes saves she has no business making,” Wachsberger said. “She anticipates well, is vocal and punts far. She even has an assist.”

Vo posted six shutouts through 10 games while totaling 47 saves. The defense in front of her has been spearheaded by sophomore Kiera Heavy, who is a workhorse at the stopper position, the coach noted, and outside backs Lianna LaFata, a senior, and Ella Noonan, a junior. “Lianna and Ella read the game well and don’t come off the field,” said Wachsberger, who added Noonan is vastly improved and playing with a lot of confidence. At sweeper, sophomore Ashley Tighe began the season as the starter but suffered a recent injury. During Tighe’s absence, the unit hasn’t skipped a beat thanks to the impressive performance of freshman Angela Perrikos.

While the defense has kept opponents from doing damage, the Rams’ offense is averaging better than three goals per game. The biggest reason for that is senior Alesandra Melendez, who leads Conference AB-V in goals with 12 and has 10 assists as well. “She’s so skillful and technically sound,” Wachsberger said. “She always seems to find a way to make a play and is our top weapon on corners.” Melendez has four multigoal games, including a hat trick against Roslyn, and scored in last Friday’s win over Central.

Senior Daphne Bower, described by her coach as someone who does whatever it takes to help the team be successful, and sophomore Alyssa Fasce, who is dealing with a bruised knee, are proven scorers up front. Bower has 5 goals after scoring last Friday; Fasce is the team’s second-leading scorer with 5 goals and 5 assists.

Scoring is also coming from a relatively young group of midfielders. The key four is comprised of one senior (Emily Abbatiello), one junior (Taylor Marget), one sophomore (Nicolette Normandi) and one freshman (Avika Mehta.) Normandi has four goals, Marget and Mehta three apiece, and Abbatiello’s a grinder with a long throw-in that creates opportunities. Mehta has been dynamic in the middle, Wachsberger said, with a non-stop motor and strong two-way play.