By STEVE SINISKI
The turning point came just after intermission, when the Lady Braves burst No. 5 Baldwin's (9-4-1) bubble with five goals in the opening three minutes. The six-goal bulge, keyed by the Lady Braves Andrea Hoda (two goals, two assists in the spurt) ultimately became a 13-9 victory.
"It was all possession of the draw," Lady Bruins coach Kathleen Mikowski said. "In the second half we didn't take advantage [on draws] and they stole momentum away."
Baldwin initially opened up a 2-0 lead in the first half before Syosset closed it on a 6-3 run. "The girls need to realize that they can hang with any team, especially after [the way we played] in the first half," Mikowski added.
Rory Redmond, one of the team_s two All-County honorees, paced the offensive attack with four goals, and Nicole Lein added two scores. Joining Redmond on the All-County team is her partner at midfield, Kaitlin Collica. The dynamic duo starred on the offensive end of the field, setting up teammates but also knowing when to look for their own shots. In 14 games, Baldwin averaged 11.9 goals and scored less than eight just once. Attack Alyssa Hoover and Lein are Honorable Mention All-County players.
"They [Redmond and Collica] were tremendous practice-wise and that carried into games," Mikowski said. "They took the weight of the game on their shoulders. They took practice serious and passed that on."
Backliners Alyssa Romano and Colleen Kocher anchored a defense came together in the second half and allowed less than seven goals a game over the final six regular-season matches. Both players earned nomination to the All-Conference team. Katy Martinez played a dual role, lining up on defense and at midfielder and ended the season as Baldwin's Unsung Hero, while goaltender Laura LaBianca earned the Scholar-Athlete award.
The Lady Bruins expect to remain at the top of Conference II, though they'll do so without the help of this season's senior class that includes Redmond, Collica, Lein and LaBianca. Strong in numbers and experience, they must still make up the intangibles the quartet brought to the field.
"They're the heart of the team," Mikowski said. "They set the tone for future years that the [playoffs] are attainable and winnable."
