Lady Seahawks close on high note

Daina Cantanese scored six goals and Amanda Giarrizzo added five as Carey closed out the lacrosse season with a convincing 12-7 win over Wheatley. Goalie Liz Garabedian had 11 saves for the Lady Seahawks, who finished with a record of 8-4 in Conference V.

Coach Maura McNamara likes the direction of the program. “I’m definitely pleased with the way things went,” McNamara said. “The girls made some great improvements throughout the season. Many of the girls have only been playing lacrosse for a short time. We’re still in the building stage. I’ll miss the seniors. They’re a great group of girls.”

As expected, Giarrizzo was the go-to girl for Carey. The senior scored 61 goals on the season. She found the back of the net a season-high eight times, and added a couple of assists in a 13-6 victory over Malverne/East Rockaway. Giarrizzo, who earned All-Conference and Scholar-Athlete honors, scored goals in 16 of Carey 17 contests.

The Lady Seahawks will lose their top scorer, but McNamara is excited about those who will return. Cantanese, who scored 52 goals and led the team in assists, will be one of Carey’s top threats in 2011. Cantanese also earned All-Conference recognition. McNamara sees tremendous upside in Jessica Takacs. The junior home scored a career-high three goals in a 21-10 win over Great Neck South.

Attack wing Ericka Cruz is another player who made her presence felt. The fleet-footed junior, who only began playing lacrosse a little over a year ago, started the season as a reserve, but didn’t take long to earn a starting position. 

Junior middle defender Marisa Baccarella, an All-Conference selection, had an outstanding season. Baccarella is the key to Carey’s transition game. Junior Cassie Smith is a smart player who will, undoubtedly, lead the defensive unit as a senior. Seniors Laura Carr and Kaitlynn Miller also made strong contributions.

McNamara will have a difficult time replacing her netminder. The dependable Garabedian was often called upon to put double-digit saves totals in the scorebook. She was credited with 17 saves in an 18-15 double overtime victory over Great Neck North on Senior Day. Garabedian, who was named the conference’s Unsung Hero, stopped a season-high 21 shots in beating Great Neck South.

With a strong core of underclassmen returning, McNamara is optimistic about the future.

“We’re going in the right direction, but we have a lot we can improve on,” she said. “When we had breakdowns, it was usually bad passing, losing the ball or other careless mistake. We’re going to back to basics and work on the fundamentals. We have to improve our shooting schools, and the basic concept of offense. If the girls work at it, they can become legit.”