In South Side girls’ soccer’s rich history, never before had it reached the Nassau County championship stage with as young a roster as it did last fall.
And with six sophomores in their starting lineup, the Cyclones made it back-to-back Class A titles with a 2-0 victory over Manhasset. Since-graduated Emma Madden scored the eventual game-winning goal with 10 minutes remaining in regulation as South Side won its 28th Nassau crown and advanced to defeat East Islip, 2-1, behind then-senior Anna Pennecke’s winning goal for its first Long Island championship since 2014.
“It’s a brand new year, but we’re looking to build off last season,” said Judi Croutier, who returned as South Side’s coach right before last season kicked off. “Last year was a wild ride,” she added. “The girls were able to keep improving and jelling, and they showed how much they wanted it.”
The Cyclones graduated four award winners but return seven starters, Croutier said. “We’re pretty young,” she added. “We’re going to miss the seniors we had but we do have a nice group coming back. I feel like we’re so far ahead of where we were last September. As a coaching staff, we didn’t even know our own team.”
That’s not the case this fall and South Side is expected to battle the usual suspects — Garden City, MacArthur, Manhasset and Mepham — for Nassau Class A supremacy.
Returning to lead the offense are senior Maggie Colvin and junior Nora Basile. Both will spend time at forward and midfield. Colvin, a senior, earned All-Conference honors after scoring 8 goals and adding 4 assists. Basile, a junior, enjoyed an All-County campaign with 8 goals, including the insurance tally in the county final, and 11 assists.
“We’re looking to Maggie for a lot of leadership,” Croutier said. “It’s her fourth year on the team and she’s a great motivator. She sees the field really well.”
Basile is a major piece of the attack and team spirit, the coach noted. “Nora is quick and very skilled,” Croutier said. “She was tied for the team lead in goals last season and we’re looking for her to be a go-to player again.”
Five juniors also return with starting experience, including goalkeeper Avery Testa. She posted six shutouts and earned All-Conference honors as a sophomore. “Avery anchors the defense and is really good in traffic,” Croutier said. “She’s not afraid of contact.”
Charley Doreste, who scored the tying goal versus East Islip in the LIC, was Honorable Mention All-County despite missing some time with injury. “She has a strong leg and communicates really well,” Croutier said. “She plays with an edge and is a leader.”
Both Doreste and Kayla Hubler will handle free kicks. Hubler is an aggressive tackler. Morgan Harloff contributed all over the field but could primarily play in the back along with seniors Allison Zacher and Adira Wilson. Reese Hailey is a strong marking midfielder who makes things happen in the air. Up front, junior Annie Madden and Charlotte Rathjen could see increased roles after serving as varsity reserves last fall.
