Clarke field hockey proves it belongs

Getting to the top was a slog, and the Clarke field hockey team – a debutant in Nassau Conference I after winning last year’s Conference II title unbeaten – has no intention of falling back.
Fighting to a draw through its first regular season in Conference I under sixth-year coach Brittany Dougher, Clarke – which finished 6-6-1 – has made a case for continued inclusion in the top league, Dougher said, and will get a chance to go one-up on the season when it faces fifth-seeded North Shore in the Class B playoffs as the No. 4 seed.
“It’s been a really good ride,” said Dougher, whose club turned heads in September rolling 4-0 out of the gate – beating new league foes North Shore, Port Washington, Cold Spring Harbor and Baldwin by a combined score of 10-2 in the space of one week. “We worked a lot and that prepared us for a fairly successful transition to Conference I.,” added Dougher. “Technically, we were such underdogs, we should have lost every game. But we’ve had a lot of wins.”
All-County center forward Sophia Papacostas pumped in a game-high pair of goals and had an assist in the Rams’ season-best 5-0 win at Port Washington Sept. 14. Though handed expanded and far-flung duties this season, the third-year-starting junior led Clarke with five goals to rank seventh in Conference I. “Sophia’s a huge part of this team, and I’m glad we get to have her for one more year,” said Dougher. “She’s done a little of everything, playing in the center and even on defense. We changed a lot of things this season.”
Following its first setback – a 2-0 loss Sept. 23 against visiting Massapequa (7-6) – Clarke switched to a six-person attack, frontloading its offense and placing much trust in a bare bones defense led by senior co-captains Nicole Servider (Honorable Mention All-County) and Sophia Ruperto, who along with junior backs Brtiney Roller (All-Conference) and Lauren Henning, and junior goalkeeper Michelle Diaz, posted three shutout victories as the league’s fifth-stingiest unit (1.6 goals per game). In her first season starting, Diaz ranked second in Conference 1 with 113 saves.

“Our two senior captains are a huge part of our defense,” Dougher said. “We rely on Nicole for a lot of major jobs. Sophia helps keep the team together; we call her our quarterback. . . . All four of our defenders, actually, are so strong that we could afford to pull players and move them to offense in the hopes of generating more goals.”
Senior forward Amanda Connolly and junior midfielder Lina Resende have chipped in three goals apiece, while versatile freshman Madison DeLeon is a fresh conscript to Clarke’s offensive ranks as the Rams gear up for the postseason.
“We’re constantly changing our lineup and players, trying to generate more offense,” Dougher said. “For the most part, we’re hanging with these teams. Now that we’ve moved up from the lower conference, the goal is to stay here. I think how well we’ve performed this year will allow us to stay in the conference. These girls have risen to the occasion.”