Offense sets tone for Clarke

Clarke hit a pair of early speed bumps on the girls’ lacrosse field with losses to Calhoun (15-8 last Monday) and Seaford (19-13 last Saturday) after a 3-0 start, but the Lady Rams still have plenty of firepower to get back on track with the meat of their Conference III schedule on the horizon. “We just weren’t on our game,” coach Rick Aragona said after the loss in a physical battle with the Lady Colts. “We let Calhoun dominate.”

Dominate is something Clarke (3-2 overall, 3-1 in Conference III) has been able to do behind an offense that totaled 60 goals through five games and had three different players netting at least a dozen. Senior attack/midfielder Nicole Wahlig, an Honorable Mention All-County honoree last season, was tied for the team lead with senior All-Conference attack Kristen Keller (14 goals each), while freshman All-Conference attack/midfielder Jenn Wahlig was right behind them with 12. Jenn Wahlig scored six goals in the loss to the Lady Vikings, and Nicole Wahlig scored eight to lead Clarke past Carle Place, 14-10, on April 5. “We’re more offensive-minded,” Aragona said. “We have a lot of team speed and height and use that to our advantage.”

Because multiple players are able to excel at both attack and midfield, Aragona’s able to mix and match his players, or simply let them decide on the fly who’s heading behind the net and who’s getting into scoring position. Jenn Wahlig and sophomore Maddie Anderson are also able to act as scorers or set up teammates, while sophomore Julia Cavaluzzi has carved out a role at attack in her first varsity season. Seniors Haley Anderson and Liz Rafikian and juniors Claudia Benitez and Liesel Ramlall are also part of the potent offensive mix.

“They spread it around and create opportunities for each other,” Aragona said. “When it works, it just flows.”

Even junior Natalie Morano and eighth-grader Caitlin Russell, defenders by trade, have taken on a role in the offense because of their ability to make plays in transition. Sophomore midfielder Diana Schmitt, in her second varsity campaign, has developed into one of Clarke’s top playmakers after making the transition from defense. “She’s a bulldog,” Aragona said, noting Schmitt’s knack for grabbing groundballs. “She goes after everything and knows the game very well.”

Senior Alyssa Pekunka is joined on the defense by sophomore Nicole Russell, another in the long line of Lady Rams who excel in transition, junior Caileigh Berry and sophomores Lauren Keller and Casey Weinberg. Senior Ashleigh Simeon, the starting goalie, left the battle with Calhoun due to injury, and her backup, junior Karen Downes stepped in and made several stops.

Clarke closes out a stretch of four games in seven days with a road battle at Hicksville this Friday (4:15 p.m.) and then has a five-day break before returning home to face Division on April 17. “This is my dream team,” Aragona said. “They work hard, they’re skilled, they try, and they don’t give up.”