South Side makes strides

The final record may not show it, but South Side’s girls’ lacrosse team made big strides in 2014.

After going 13-4 last spring, the Lady Cyclones moved up to Conference I and despite stepped-up competition managed to put together a winning season at 9-8. The successful campaign ended with a 13-7 Class B quarterfinal setback to North Shore, but longtime head coach Meaghan Healey is proud of how her team competed with great challenges in their way.

“The girls definitely stepped it up going to the higher league,” said Healey, whose team advanced to the quarterfinal round with a dominant 13-6 first round win against Division on May 12. “They didn’t back down and were not afraid.”

South Side was among 10 programs selected to compete in Conference I, also known as Nassau County’s “Power League.” Others included Manhasset, Garden City, Wantagh, Massapequa, Farmingdale, Cold Spring Harbor, North Shore Long Beach and Plainedge. The Lady Cyclones managed to put up a 3-6 record against these top-notch programs that was highlighted by a dramatic 13-12 win against longtime Class A power Massapequa on April 3.

“That is where they really started to believe,” said Healey of the victory over Massapequa, which was the first in her nearly two decades coaching the team.

South Side loses a talented senior class led by Siena-bound Maggie Cifarelli (47 points), Briar Rose DeTomasso (55 goals, 27 assists), Juliana Pellegrini, Hannah Serling, Katie Ford and Allie Ford. Serling, who will play at Franklin & Marshall next year, missed her senior season due to an injury suffered last fall while playing soccer for the Lady Cyclones, but Healey was impressed how she still attended games and practices and supported her teammates.

“She definitely was missed on the field but she made a great contribution on the sideline,” Healey said of Serling. “She was like one of our coaches.”

Despite losing some key seniors, South Side will return plenty of scoring in 2014 including sisters Tessa and Bridget Considine. Tessa Considine took the majority of the draw controls as a junior while Bridget shined in her freshman campaign and scored the game-winning goal against Massapequa with 40 seconds left. Their older sister Emily Considine is a standout on the Hofstra women’s lacrosse team.

Healey expects to return a solid defense led by Anna LePetri, Megan Albertsen and Bridie Riordan, who all started as juniors in 2014. Goalie Alyssa Knab will also return for her senior year patrolling the cage. 

Healey said what she was proud of was balanced scoring, which included five players with 20 goals or more. South Side loses the bulk of its scoring but Healey hopes to have similar offensive distribution in 2015.

“They were a very unselfish team,” Healey said. “They had very good chemistry.”