Thursday, October 1, 2026
The Oceanside girls’ soccer team is 4-3-2 and third in Conference AAA/AA-I behind Garden City and South Side.
While the results haven’t met the expectations coming into the season, the alarm bells on Skillman Avenue aren’t sounding. That’s because the Sailors are basically at the same spot they were this time last year when they went on to win the Nassau Class AAA title.
“A good amount of these girls are part of our defending Nassau County championship team, and they know what it’s like to have some hiccups in the season, but ultimately finish on top.” coach Danielle Chiera said.
Although the Sailors are disappointed in some results, they’ve had success against the ‘AAA’ teams in their conference. They are 1-0-1 against Syosset, have beaten Massapequa once, and Port Washington twice.
With a nine-match sample size, Chiera said the team has identified the issue that has plagued them to this point. It’s a team that is highly technical and talented, that plays positionless soccer as an unselfish unit. But they are too unselfish at times in the attacking third.
“We have players who can shoot from distance, and also players who are very dangerous in front of the goal,” Chiera said. “But when we try to get too many of our teammates involved, we miss some of the opportunities that we could have to really put points on the board.”
Winger Ava Bowers has been a consistent scoring threat, leading the team with six goals and one assist. Ryann Zydor, a starting left back who has also pushed forward to left wing, has five goals and two assists, including a hat trick in a 7-1 win over Port Washington last Saturday.
“They’re both seniors who have really taken leadership roles,” Chiera said. “They’ve been on the team since freshman year, and they’ve played different positions throughout the years and had different roles, but this year they are definitely attacking players.”
The central midfield trio of seniors Molly Boller and Chloe Polito and junior Gianna Visone all have an incredible work rate and do the dirty work to run the midfield, often making the play before the play that leads to a goal.
Senior Cathryn Evans often puts in a shift at right wing, and although she’s limited to just one assist thus far, she has a high work rate that sets the tone for the underclassmen on the team.
Returning juniors Maddy McMurray and Addison Goldstein, along with senior Jordyn Davis, anchor the back line. Junior Ella Hickey and senior Riley Harrington have also been stabilizing presences in the back.
And junior Ella Murray is in her first year as the starting goalkeeper, a position she doesn’t even play on her club team.
“You would never know that because she never complains about it,” Chiera said. “She knows what her role is. She knows what’s expected of her, and she has just stepped up to that starting goalie spot, and has really been great between the posts.”
