Former assistant Judi Croutier guided the team to an outstanding 13-1-1 record. However, the Cyclones lost a game for the first time in three years and are the No. 2 seed in the Nassau County playoffs. Massapequa, which snapped the Cyclones' 56-game unbeaten streak with a 3-1 win on Oct. 1, is the top seed
But the loss may have actually benefitted the Cyclones, who had grown weary of carrying the onus of the long winning streak.
We realized Massapequa was a good team, said sophomore Jenna Lucchesi. And we knew that whole streak wasn't just our streak. When we lost, the weight was sort of lifted from our shoulders and now we're playing to win again, instead of not to lose.
We've been playing stronger since the loss, said senior Christine Abrams, the team's leading scorer.
Indeed, the Cyclones are 6-0 since, and avenged the defeat with a 1-0 home-win over the Massapequa Chiefs on Oct. 22. When the playoffs finally arrived, the Cyclones were ready,
We were so pumped, Abrams said.
South Side jumped on Baldwin early, with Abrams, Melissa Gimpel and Lauren Koppel each scoring first-half goals. Abrams and Koppel also had assists, and South Side had 21 shots on goal to Baldwin's four.
Cyclones' goalkeeper Christine Conway posted her seventh shutout of the season. With almost the entire game being played on Baldwin's end of the field, she stayed focused by shouting encouragement to her teammates.
Keep the pressure on, she shouted.
They did.
We played aggressively, said sophomore Jenna Lucchesi, whose skillful ball-handling set up several scoring chances. Now we're excited about Friday.
On Fri., Nov. 1, the Cyclones will play No. 3-seeded Valley Strem Central in the semifinals at Mitchel Field at6 p.m. Though the rubber match with Massapequa looms, no one is overlooking Valley Stream Central.
South Side played Valley Stream Central twice during the season, coming away with a tie on Sept. 26 and a 2-1 win on Oct. 17.
We were losing the whole time, Abrams said of the second meeting. But Katie Kuntz tied the game with 10 minutes to play and Abrams scored the game-winner three minutes later.
Now the Cyclones are playing their best soccer as the calendar turns to their favorite month.
Boys' soccer season end
in quarterfinals
The Cyclones boys soccer team enjoyed a fine regular season, finishing with a 4-7-4 record and a No. 9 seed in the playoffs. But their season came to a close with a 2-1 overtime loss to No. 8 Garden City in the first round on Oct. 26.
With South Side trailing 1-0 and nine minutes left in regulation, Michael Santo knotted things with his third goal of the season. But with 4:20 left in the extra session, Garden City's John Adamo knocked in the game-winning goal on a scramble in the box.
The Cyclones had wins over Plainview JFK, Great Neck South and Hewlett in league play, and lost two regular season games to Garden City, 1-0 on Sept. 19 and 2-1 on Oct. 8.
Tom Theodorson, Ryan Wunsch, David Ruthkowski, Micah Gruber, Lou Barracelli, Tommy Walsh and Phillip Ng all had fine seasons for the Cyclones.
Golfers finish
with perfect season
The Cyclones put the finishing touches on their first perfect 10-0 season with a 9-0 win over East Rockayway on Oct. 17, as they finished with their lowest team score of the year, 196. Kevin Murphy and Chris Ziegler each shot two-over 38s on the front nine at Lido Golf Course.
It was a nice surprise because we were shooting for our best score, which was 205, said first-year coach Mike Davey, who joked that he is undefeated in his career as a golf coach.
In addition to Murphy and Ziegler, Paul Sievers, Ben Rocco, Dan Bastain and Kevin Riley were key contributors to the Cyclones' success.
On Oct. 10, Murphy shot a 36 at the Rockville Centre Links as the Cyclones outpaced Oceanside, 6-3. Sievers' three-over 39 helped the Cyclones beat Lawrence 8-1. Ziegler shot a 39 in an 8-1 win over Sewhanaka. Bastain led them to victory over East Rockaway with a four-over 36 at the Links on Sept. 19.
The Cyclones also beat West Hemsptead on Sept. 17, Lawrence on Sept. 12 and Oceanside on Sept. 10.
The Cyclones will compete in the county finals next spring, and will tune up for the competition with a tournament Davey set up, the Cyclone Cup, in which students play against their favorite teachers.
Davey, who took up the sport four years ago and fell in love with the game, often challenged his squad in practice and really had to work to keep up.
I like to get them fired up. It's a fun sport to coach, he said. It extends the season a little bit.
