Offense leads South Side to 14 wins

A potent offensive attack helped carry South Side all the way to the quarterfinals of the Nassau County Class B girls’ lacrosse playoffs and the program’s first regular season conference title since 2009.

Senior All-County midfielder Michaela Lynch, who led Nassau County in assists (58) and finished second in points (114), continued her strong play in the No. 6 Lady Cyclones (14-5 overall) playoff run, netting four goals and an assist in 22-12 loss to No. 3 Wantagh on May 16. That was on the heels of her team-high five goals and three assists in South Side’s 13-8 first-round victory over No. 11 Floral Park on May 13.

“Her speed, ball control and definitely her vision on the field [are big assets],” coach Meghan Healey said. “[Her playmaking] creates a feeling that off-the-ball movement is important. She’s very selfless.”

Even in the quarterfinal loss, the Lady Cyclones displayed their diverse offensive attack, as six different players scored goals, a trait that was a season-long trend. Seven South Side players scored in the first-round victory over the Lady Knights, a game that was won not only on offense, but in large part due to the handy work of Lynch and senior midfielder Liz Hoeffner on draws. They dominated Floral Park on faceoffs, and Hoeffner, also an All-County honoree, added five points (three goals, two assists). Junior All-Conference attack Briar Rose DeTomasson scored twice, junior Maggie Cifarelli, also an All-Conference attack, had a goal and an assist.

“We had a strong midfield but it wasn’t just the midfield,” Healey said of what gave the offense it potency. “Any one [of the midfielders and attack] could score.”

DeTomasso’s strong work behind the cage, along with the strong connection between Cifarelli and sophomore Tessa Considine made it difficult for defenses to key on one or two members of the Lady Cyclones’ offense.

What didn’t get lost in the shuffle of an offense that scored at least 10 goals in 13 of 19 games was the play of senior defender Michaela Beck, who also earned All-County honors. “She was without a doubt the backbone of the defense,” Healey said. “She was vocal and hopefully [the players around her] learned a lot from her.”

In attaining their preseason goal of winning the regular season conference championship, South Side did so with a strong senior class guiding the way for team a that will still return a strong nucleus in 2013 that includes a pair of junior All-Conference midfielders — Katie Ford and Hanna Serling — and junior Allie Ford, who was named the County’s Fran McCall Unsung Hero, as a player who made a major contribution on the field.

“Hopefully [the younger girls] saw what is needed to play at this level and it pushes them to keep working hard [to see] that good things come of it,” Healey said. “This was a great group of girls to coach and I look forward to building on this year.”