Promising start for Kennedy

Returning to the Nassau Class A girls’ soccer playoffs and opening the postseason at home is the No. 1 goal for Kennedy, which secured points in each of its first four Conference AB-II games before dropping a hard-fought 2-1 decision to MacArthur under blustery and damp conditions on Sept. 19.

“We’re looking to close the first half of the conference schedule strong,” said coach Roland Clark, whose Lady Cougars pushed North Shore to penalty kicks in last year’s playoffs. “We’re 2-1-2 in five conference games so far,” he added.

Sophomore center-midfielder Kenar Gelman continued her impressive start for Kennedy with her fourth goal of the season to give it a 1-0 lead. “Three of her goals are from 20 yards or longer,” Clark said. “We only had Kenar for a couple of games last year because of an injury. She’s an incredible reader of the field and draws a lot of attention away from our forwards. She can beat opponents one-on-one and distributes well.”

One of Kenar’s goals was the game-winner with less than five minutes left against Plainedge in a 4-3 decision on Sept. 14. The Lady Cougars squandered a 3-0 halftime lead but found a way. “It was frustrating, but I like the attitude and the fight we showed coming back to win,” Clark said.

Kennedy employs an attack-minded 4-3-3 system and said he’s looking for it to produce in the neighborhood of 30 goals and finish either first or second in the conference to guarantee the playoffs begin at home. The offense features a two-time All-County selection, junior Shelby Banner, who in 2016 scored 7 goals and added 5 assists. “We’re always looking for ways to free Shelby up because she attracts so much defensive attention,” Clarke said of Banner, who has 3 goals. “Her skills are great and she can create scoring chances for herself and others.”

Junior Gabriella Grieser and sophomore Victoria Torchia are teamed up front with Banner. Grieser’s speed on the wing makes her a threat to push the ball towards the cage as well as drop back into the midfield when needed. She scored twice in a surprisingly lopsided 8-0 victory over Valley Stream North. Torchia, who got her third varsity campaign off to a big note with two goals in a 4-1 win over Seaford, is coming into her own after putting in a lot of time during the offseason, the coach noted. “Victoria is one of the fastest kids we’ve got and she has a great first touch,” Clark said.

The defense boasts plenty of senior leadership with a sprinkle of youth. Senior captains Isabella Infuso and Rose Mehani earned All-Class honors a year ago and return at sweeper and fullback, respectively. Infuso is dangerous on set plays and already has a pair of goals as such this season, while Mehani gets the toughest assignment each game. Senior Jade Polanco is another returning starter at fullback, and junior Zoe Weissbach and freshman Giuliana Mazzaferro form a solid tandem at stopper.

The goalie situation is similar to last year with junior Jacklyn Maisonet and sophomore Dylan Manger both capable of getting the job done and sharing responsibilities.