Calhoun offense leads fast start

The Calhoun Lady Colts outscored their first five opponents by a combined score of 16-0, but their blazing start hit a pair of minor speed bumps last week not with losses, but ties.

Herricks earned its first point of the Conference AA-II girls’ soccer season last Monday by forging a 2-2 tie with Calhoun (5-0-2) on Erin Rivera’s second goal of the game midway through the second half. Senior forward Kristina Gandolfo opened the scoring less than a minute after the opening tap for the Lady Colts, and senior forward Michelle Iacono put the Lady Colts ahead minutes after Rivera’s first score.

On a rain-soaked field last Friday, Gandolfo scored early in the second half to help Calhoun fight its way to a 1-1 tie with Port Washington, in a game that ended the Lady Colts string of five straight shutouts to open the season. “It was good to see them come back and get the tie,” Calhoun coach Lori Biscardi said. “We were unable to settle [the ball] and keep it on the ground. That’s [our] game.”

Gandolfo (10 goals) and Iacono (six) lead a high-octane offense that is supported by plenty of experience at midfield and also gets help from senior stopper Talia Charidah, who is often pushed forward to provide more punch, and senior Mary Hijazi, also a versatile playmaker. In fact, part of the reason for the Lady Colts success is due to the fact that just two starters were lost from last season’s team that finished 12-2-1 and earned a first-round bye in the playoffs.

Sophomore center-midfielder Taylor Sipos has scored once and chipped in with several assists and is a candidate to find the back of the net even more lined up alongside classmate Kayla Cappuzzo, an outside midfielder. Cappuzzo’s on-target crosses are a perfect compliment for Gandolfo and Iacono on the frontline. Senior Tessa Patti and sophomores Nora Charidah and Cecilia Miguel are also part of the mix at midfield.