Mepham sets its sights high

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After reaching the Nassau Class A semifinals one year ago before dropping a close decision to the eventual champions, Mepham girls soccer coach Janine Bizelia did not hold back when sharing her team’s expectations for the 2018 season.

“Our goal from the start is November 11,” said Bizelia, a reference to the date of the Class A state championship game in Cortland, N.Y. “Our goal is not to win the conference. Not win the counties … it’s to get to the state finals.”

So far, the team appears more than up for the task.

At 4-0 in Conference AB2 to open the season, outscoring their opponents 11-2 along the way, it’s been a successful return thus far to Conference II for the Lady Pirates. They competed in Conference III last year, after an underwhelming, injury-plagued 2016 precipitated the drop. Mepham responded by going undefeated, often winning games in blowout fashion. As the 12-seed in the playoffs, it made an underdog run to the semifinals before losing to North Shore, 2-1.

Mepham’s rise in conference placement coincides with a rise in expectations, despite losing top scorer, Sarah Bayer, to graduation. To fill her shoes, Bizelia expressed total confidence in freshman forward Luciana Setteducate, who has been playing with the team since seventh grade. “She started [on varsity] when she was 11,” said Bizelia. “We knew she was talented.”

She’ll often be the beneficiary of what Bizelia said is a strong offensive attack, led in the middle by senior captains Devon Schroeder and Maddie Pascarella. Though the coach noted Pascarella is often one of the smaller players on the field in terms of height, she said she’s also one of the strongest, using her technical and tactical skills to control the ball. Sophomore midfielders Briana Sayoc and Rachel Eisert are other key players who round out the midfield. 

Mepham’s third senior co-captain, Lindsay Repper, is the team’s best defender, “hands down,” Bizelia said.

The Lady Pirates began conference play with three straight road wins. In last Saturday’s home opener against Plainedge, goals from senior Caroline Keane and Setteducate stood up in a 2-0 victory.

This Thursday, Mepham will host Bellmore JFK in a night game beginning at 6 p.m. Facing a conference and crosstown rival, it’s a big game for the Lady Pirates from a competitive standpoint, but even more so from an emotional one. That evening, the players will wear the initials “D.K.” on their wristbands in memory of Denise Koegel, the mother of assistant coach Keri Wisey, a devoted fan of Mepham soccer who passed away recently. The game will also serve as a fundraiser to benefit charitable organizations for causes that Koegel was passionate about.

But as Bizelia noted, Koegel’s legacy will resonate well beyond a single game.

“November 11 is our goal,” she said. “But we’re fighting every day for Denise Koegel. Sometimes it’s more than just wins and losses. With the girls especially, they step up and fight for that stuff.”