By TONY BELLISSIMO
The Lady Jets have come a long way under first-year coach Danielle Rosenau, who once played in the program herself. ³We don¹t have any superstars, but we have a lot of talented players who learned to work together,² she said. ³The girls had to adjust to a new system, and they started to click about halfway through the season. To finish in second place was outstanding.²
Defending county champion Massapequa, which carried a 13-2 record into the playoffs, is favored to win the county title but East Meadow deserves to be part of the discussion after securing its spot in the final with a 1-0 victory over Baldwin on Tuesday. On Oct. 3, the Lady Chiefs needed overtime to beat the Lady Jets, 1-0, in a game that could¹ve gone either way. ³We had a couple of wins under our belt already and the effort we had against Massapequa only boosted our confidence,² Rosenau said. ³We had just as many scoring chances as they did.²
Down the stretch, East Meadow (8-6-1 overall) recorded three shutout victories and also had its largest offensive output of the season. It defeated Wheatley 5-1, then blanked Port Washington 3-0, Oyster Bay 2-0 and Baldwin 3-0. ³I was impressed by the girls¹ work ethic,² Rosenau said. ³They have a lot of determination and desire. The communication on the field improved a lot and was a big reason why we finished strong.²
The offense has been led by senior forwards Sara Fine and Lauren Cameron. Fine has a team-high eight goals. Cameron¹s phenomenal stick-handling skills has brought four goals and a team-high seven assists, with her latest goal coming in the semifinal playoff win. Senior Casey Andree and juniors Nicole Semonella and Kristina Curry provide steady contributions up front as well, combining for eight goals.
In the midfield, juniors Alyssa Graziano and Tracy Rivas and senior Gina Zarra ignite the transition game and also serve as the first line of defense. ³They never give up on the ball,² Rosenau said. Starting defenders Mandie Serif, Kim Slagus and Tara Harten rarely come off the field. ³At times, they¹ve made saves behind our goalie,² Rosenau said of the backline trio. ³We rely on them just about every minute of every game.² Serif is a senior, while Slagus and Harten are juniors.
Junior Amanda Sendkewitz has played the bulk of minutes at goaltender and totaled 107 saves. ³Amanda never loses sight of the ball,² Rosenau said. ³She anticipates well and makes diving saves.²
East Meadow faces Massapequa in Tuesday¹s county final at Hofstra at noon.
Comments about this story? tbellissimo@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 204.
