By TONY BELLISSIMO
Three weeks ago, coach John Anfossi said a .500 finish was the goal. But following Saturday's 7-0 victory over Freeport that put the Marines at 4-1-1 and in second place in Conference VII, it was clear the bar of expectations had been raised.
"Based on our overall inexperience and some question marks on both sides of the field, I was hoping to win as many as we lost," Anfossi said after sophomore Casey Fee scored three goals and junior goalkeeper Lisa Busch made seven saves in the win over Freeport. "I think the biggest thing we've got going is our strength in numbers. We've got 30 kids on the varsity and we've been able to wear down most teams. The girls are doing a great job and they're hoping to keep it going for the second half of the season."
The only bad news to hit Long Beach since it blew a two-goal lead in a 3-2 setback to first-place Great Neck North last month was the loss of senior starting goalie Antoinette Cataldi to a broken ankle. Cataldi suffered the season-ending injury in last week's 4-0 win over Oyster Bay. Fee scored twice and eighth-grader Ashley Palacio and April Leyendecker added goals. But the fine effort was overshadowed by one play. Cataldi was hurt with five minutes remaining on a collision with an opponent.
"We didn't think it was that serious at first," Anfossi said. "But X-rays revealed a break and unfortunately we have to move on without Antoinette. She was a big part of what we're all about. She delivered for us the past two years and it's sad to see her senior year cut short. We just have to keep battling."
Busch was being groomed to take over the varsity job in 2004, but she assumed the duty as of Saturday. "She's looking good," Anfossi said. "She's trained hard the past few years and I've been impressed by her progress. She's got some big shoes to fill, but she can do it."
The defense has been bolstered by the addition of Krista Yulfo, who was moved from halfback to stopper. She has formed a solid duo along with eighth-grader Casey Ward. Yulfo has also maintained her focus on offense, along with senior halfback Kristin Ciccone.
"Krista and Kristin have great vision," Anfossi said. "They create a lot of scoring opportunities."
The Marines have made the most of their scoring chances, especially in the second halves of games. In a four-game win streak that saw them outscore Freeport, Oyster Bay, Locust Valley and Glen Cove by a 20-0 margin, they netted 15 of those goals after intermission. Fee scored eight and has 10 on the season.
"We've only had one bad second half all year," Anfossi said.
That came in the loss to Great Neck North, which beat Long Beach with 10 seconds left in the first meeting. The rematch takes place on Oct. 14.
