South Side’s field hockey program is just three years old, but it has quickly grown into a dominant team. It launched as a JV team in 2024 before making the jump to varsity last year going 12-3, winning the Conference 2 championship, and advancing to the Nassau County semifinals.
This year, after moving up to the top conference, the Cyclones are having another amazing season as they are off to an 8-0 start and it’s been a total team effort.
Senior center midfielder Reese Long, senior left forward Austen Finegan, senior right wing Skye Korten, and senior left midfielder Lauren Lozito make up the “Core Four,” a group of four best friends who also play lacrosse and have been playing sports together for a long time.
“Their connection on and off the field is something that I think is going to take us very far,” coach Angelica Garguilo said. “They’re just very smart with their game sense.”
Gargiulo is in her third year at the helm of the program.
Long, one of two captains, is committed to playing lacrosse at the University of South Florida.
“She is the controller of our field,” Gargiulo said. “She’s always dishing the ball, controlling our fields, and setting the tone for the game.”
Finegan is the other captain and is a big part of the team’s offense.
“She’s always pushing us up the field, getting scoring opportunities, and getting shots on goal,” Gargiulo said. “She’s a very positive voice, keeping us level headed on the field.”
Korten leads South Side with 7 goals and is committed to playing lacrosse at the University of Albany. She uses her quickness to help the Cyclones get chances to put the ball in the net.
“She is a speed demon,” Gargiulo said. “She’s always putting the ball in the circle and creating those scoring opportunities.”
Lozito is a player with great awareness.
“Her game sense of just receiving the passing and dishing the passing…she’s always anticipating where to place the ball,” Gargiulo said.
The Cyclones also have a strong defensive group, playfully nicknamed “The Wall”, consisting of senior Kaylen Conlon and juniors Molly Gominiak and Rita Falanga.
“The three of them don’t let any balls go through,” Gargiulo said. “They’re very aggressive pushing the ball up the field.”
The last line of defense is senior goalkeeper Sophia Jackson, who had never played field hockey before this season.
“She is just a great athlete with a good head on her shoulders,” Gargiulo said. “She puts the pads on and is so aggressive with clearing the balls, communicating and navigating her defense in front of her.”
South Side, with upcoming games this Saturday at Port Washington and Oct. 14 against Locust Valley, continues to get better as they look to improve on what was a great first season of varsity field hockey.
“We definitely have to step it up a notch,” Gargiulo said. “We just have to keep the momentum going.”
With 17 seniors, the Cyclones are poised to improve on their accomplishments from a season ago and make a deep playoff run.
