Long Beach plays with heavy hearts

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A courageous health battle facing one of the Long Beach girls’ soccer captains is drawing inspiration for the Lady Marines to compete extra hard this fall. 

Valeria Catrambone, a varsity player since her freshman year, was diagnosed in June with a rare form of stage four cancer and is now in the mist of intensive chemotherapy treatments at Sloan Kettering. The absence of Catrambone and the serious health battle she is enduring during what should have been her senior season has galvanized the Marine players and coaches.

“We’re trying to rally around her,” Long Beach coach Tara Wesselhoft said. “The girls are playing for her.”

Catrambone was a key catalyst on last year’s 11-4 Long Beach team that reached the quarterfinals of the Conference AA playoffs with 18 points. The Marines won Conference AA-III and moved up to AA-II this season making for a more challenging schedule.

The Marine returns some key starters including senior center midfielder Chrystal Posada, who tallied seven points last year. Posada tore a calf muscle in the Marines’ 6-0 non-league victory against Valley Stream Central, but Wesselhoft hopes she will be able to return to the field for the stretch run of the season. “She is my voice on the field,” Wesselhoft said of Posada. “She is constantly talking and motivating the girls.”

Posada is the veteran of a young midfield unit that as features sophomore Sophia Valentin and freshman Kate Conway. Senior Katie Whelan can generate some scoring chances from the wing and registered an assist in the Sept. 8 season-opening win. Junior forward Grace Conway is a force close to the net coming off a breakout sophomore campaign with 13 goals last year. “She is very aggressive,” Wesselhoft said of Conway. “She forces defenders to make mistakes.”

Long Beach boasts a strong defense anchored by senior Kelly DiResto, who warned All-County honors last fall and was named Conference AA-III Player of the Year. DiResto also has the ability to penetrate up field into the offensive end and tallied three points last year.

“You could her anywhere on the field,” said Wesselhoft of DiResto who is tri-captain along with Chrystal Posada and Catrambone. “She is a very strong player.”

DiResto leads a young backline that also features sophomore outside back Victoria Posada. The Marines had three capable starting goalkeepers in senior Mary-Elizabeth McCourt, junior Samantha Infelberg, and freshman Sage Bernstein, who all received playing time in the season-opener. “They all have different strengths,” Wesselhoft said of her three goalies. “It’s nice to have that choice.”

Long Beach is aiming for its third playoff appearance in four years, which Wesselhoft said will be a challenge in a higher league that features Baldwin, Farmingdale, Hicksville, Plainview JFK and Herricks. The Marines open conference play at home this Friday against Farmingdale in a 4:30 p.m. kickoff.

Throughout the season Catrambone’s presence will be felt on the field as she fights cancer with her teammates players sporting purple ribbons in their hair in honor of her favorite color. The team will also wear gold to recognize Catrambone’s cancer ribbon color and are making t-shirts with her number five in a heart placed on the sleeve.