Glen Cove looks ahead to 2018

The Glen Cove girls’ soccer team finished its 2017 campaign at 4-8-2, competing within Nassau Conference AB-5. The Lady Big Red, after moving up in conference following last season, was looking for solid competition to continue to gain experience. That is exactly what head coach Peter Falen believes it acquired ahead of a 2018 season where it looks to return 14 seniors.

“We moved up in conference knowing it would be challenging,” Falen said. “But we were looking for better competition for experience. We began to play very competitive, especially late in the season which is something to build on.”

Leading the charge this past season were seniors Tatiana Guevara and Sienna Nicolich. Guevara, the probable-team MVP, led the team with 13 goals and 6 assists through 14 contests, The team’s second-leading scorer and a talented all-around player, Nicolich, tallied 7 goals while patrolling a center midfield/forward position. Unfortunately, Glen Cove will miss the pair when it laces up the boots next season. Also graduating will be senior Delilah Perez, a key 5-year varsity player who has been a part of the competitive puzzle for Glen Cove for half a decade.

The Lady Big Red will look to build with the help of an abundance of talent that will be returning next year. Of those, junior goalkeeper Jaynise Espinal will once again appear in net with highly valuable experience. “She made some key contributions in net for us this year and having played in this higher conference, she’ll be ready for next season,” Falen said.

Juniors Lucy Costello and Ariana Greenberg are two skilled players who also are positioned to be key contributors in 2018. Costello and Greenberg made giant switches this season for the betterment of the team. Costello moved from a sweeper to a forward with a nose for shots on goal, while Greenberg made the inverse role switch, becoming a quick and capable defender. 

Falen draws comparisons between the two girls and his ideal player rising to the varsity level. “We’re looking for players on this level who are open to changing positions and roles for the sake of the team, but there are also kids who are unable to change and maybe unwilling,” Falen said. “It works both ways.”

That, however, is something Falen hasn’t seemed to encounter with the group of girls he has now, though. “They were a joy to coach. They would come in everyday, wanting to work hard and were dedicated,” Falen said. This was apparent to him through the voluntary summer conditioning program that he said his girls were eager to attend.

Glen Cove played to its adversaries close in its first year following the promotion. “We lost most of our games by a goal or two goals,” Falen said. “We continued to improve and let the higher skill level shape us.”

As for the prospect of next year, Falen believes it comes in the way of working as a team to replace the goal-scoring abilities of Guevara and Nicolich, and continuing to work hard in its new conference it now calls home.