By TONY BELLISSIMO
The Lady Rams, losers of one-goal games to Elmont, Great Neck North and Malverne/East Rockaway, continue to scrap and hope to get to the .500 mark for the first time in 2008 after improving to 3-4. An offense led by eighth-grader Becky Conto and seniors Heather Cagno and Stefani Koelbel paved the way to victory against Carey, which had no answer for the trio. Conto had a career-high nine goals, Cagno three goals and one assist and Koelbel two goals.
Weve been up and down, coach Tracy Hutt said. Weve tried to take something positive from each game, whether we win or lose. It was disheartening to lose three of the first four conference games by a goal apiece, but all we can do is keep fighting.
West Hempstead has relied heavily on its offense to carry the load while a revamped defense learns on the fly. The scoring unit hasnt disappointed in averaging 13.2 goals per game. Conto has 34 goals, Koelbel has 25, including eight in last weeks 19-16 win over Great Neck South, and Cagno has 18.
Stefani likes pressure and wants to be the one with the ball when we need to score, Hutt said of Koelbel, who plays attack wing along with Cagno. She has great speed and no fear. When she wants to go to the cage, theres no stopping her.
Conto calls the center position home and brings a tremendous set of stick skills to the table. Beckys got great vision of the field and anticipates as well as anyone, Hutt said.
Cagnos a four-year varsity player who does all the little things well, in addition to being a scoring threat. Junior Michelle Delace, who scored three times against Roslyn, Elmont and Clarke, is another offensive spark, and sophomore Dina Mendicino is contributing just about everywhere.
Weve been trying to create as much offense as we can, Hutt said. The defense is starting to come together now. We had to replace a bunch of starters, plus the goalie, so it has been a slow process.
Seniors Jenna DAlessandro and Ashley Merril emerged as leaders on a defense that includes a handful of freshmen. Goaltender Musgan Shariff is a freshman not only new to the position but also the sport as a whole. She goes in the goal every day with a smile, Hutt said of Shariff, who made 15 saves against Carey. Its a tough position for anyone to learn. Shes getting better and more confident each game.
The second half of the season should mirror the first as far as competitiveness goes. Every game is a tossup, Hutt said.
West Hempstead hosts red-hot Mepham on Friday at 4:30 p.m.
Comments about this story? tbellissimo@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000, ext. 204.
