By STEVE SINISKI
"We needed to get back [on track]," coach Matt Pedicini said. "We hadn't won in a while so it was big morale win."
Cally Chakrian moved from the backline to forward in an effort to jump start East Meadow's offense, and it didn't take long for the strategy to work. She converted a pass from Marissa Liebhaber to open the scoring, and the defense made the score hold up. "We put her up there to spark the offense," Pedicini said. "She scored in just 10 minutes into the game.
Prior to the win over the Braves, East Meadow had scored just four goals in five games, getting shut out by Massapequa and Farmingdale. "We're not scoring a lot of goals," Pedicini said. "We've had a lot of breakdowns and have yet to play a complete game without any breakdowns."
The Nassau County playoffs are on the horizon, and East Meadow is still in the hunt for the No. 2 seed, which would guarantee a first-round bye as well as a second-round home game. The key, according to Pedicini, is using the last three games of the regular season as a tune-up for what's ahead in the playoffs. "The biggest thing is to get one complete game out of three," he said. "We'll start with one. Can the team come together without breakdowns and no mental lapses? We have to have a commitment to play 80 minutes."
In consecutive losses to Farmingdale (4-0 on Oct. 6) and Garden City (3-1 on Oct. 12), the Lady Jets allowed goals in the final seconds of the first half. Trailing 2-0 at intermission against the Trojans, the initial goal after intermission was crucial in determining whether East Meadow would be able to climb back into the game. Garden City netted the next tally before the Lady Jets were able to get on the board.
With the offense struggling, the pressure is on the defense to keep the ball away from the net. Front-and-center in keeping opponents from peppering the net has been Joanna Cosentino, who has stepped into a leadership role as the season has developed.
Offensively, Liebhaber could be one of the key players moving forward towards the postseason. The Lady Jets will close the regular season with a non-league battle against Island Trees this Thursday, and end the Conference I schedule with a road rematch against first place Massapequa on Oct. 23 at 4:45 p.m.
Photos bu Jeff Wilson/Herald
