Carey has strength in numbers

After a disappointing season that saw the Carey varsity finish with a 2-9-1 record, the Lady Seahawks’ soccer program is on the rise. A total of 75 players fill rosters for the junior high, JV, and varsity levels, and optimism is aplenty.

Lola Intagliata, in her 10th season as head coach at Carey, is exciting about the present and future of the team. “This is, by far, the biggest turnout we’ve ever had here at Carey,” Intagliata said. “The Franklin Square Raiders have an excellent feeder program, so we’re seeing a lot of talent players coming into the program. We’re competing with just about every team we’re facing, and the junior varsity is playing well, too. I’m definitely optimistic about things.”

After losing their first two games, the Lady Seahawks ran off three straight victories in Nassau Conference III. The return to enrollment-based scheduling has been up and down for Carey. The Lady Seahawks compete with Mepham, Calhoun, Bellmore-JFK, Valley Stream Central, Elmont, Long Beach, and Great Neck South.

The player that makes Carey go is junior captain Erica Sousa. The center-midfielder, who recently verbally committed to play at Rutgers University, has three goals and three assists for the season. Sousa scored twice on direct kicks in a 4-2 loss to second-place Calhoun. An excellent complement at center-midfield to Sousa is freshman Sabrina Melgarejo, a player Intagliata believes will be a big part of the future.

Rounding out the midfield are sophomore Nancy Luca and freshman Michelle Bedeian. Luca scored two second-half goals, including the game-winner, to lead the Lady Seahawks to a 3-2 win over Great Neck South. Sousa had two assists.

Carey (3-4 in Conference III, 3-5 overall) is talented at forward as well. Sophomore Alexa Lorenzo, who is the team’s leading goal scorer with five tallies, and junior Breanne Bonfiglio form a solid tandem upfront. Lorenzo found the back of the net twice in a 5-0 victory over Elmont.

Defense has been one of the strong points for the Lady Seahawks. The heart and soul of the defensive unit is Gabby Barnes. The senior sweeper brings tremendous speed to the table and is usually called upon to mark the opponent’s top player. Senior captain Megan Muscat has been solid at stopper, while. Jamie Kalny and Celia Morgan round out a strong backline. Kalny and Morgan both scored in the win over Elmont. Sophomore Stephanie Rodriguez has also been a solid contributor on defense.

In the net, Carey has four-year varsity player Heather Grasso. The senior captain, who along with Barnes is being looked at by some college programs, is terrific on high balls and works well with the defense. Grasso had 14 saves in a 2-0 loss to a strong Bellmore-JFK team. 

The Lady Seahawks host Valley Stream Central on Monday at 4:30 p.m. and entertain Elmont on Oct. 20 at 4:15 p.m.