Glen Cove eyes strong season

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Implemented for the start of this season, the Nassau County girls lacrosse conferences have been realigned based off recent team records.

Glen Cove head coach Nicole Sileo is taking this as an opportunity to make improvements, gain traction, and eventually be in contention for a conference championship.

In early preseason practices, the Lady Big Red, led offensively by two Division II recruits, is focused on fortifying an identity and building upon its strengths from last season. Sileo also made it a point that she values her girls trusting each other and playing as one on the field. 

“Early on, personally, them jelling and working as a team is important,” Sileo said. 

With a combination of a large group of returning seniors and a mixture of underclassmen all set to contribute this spring, Sileo is confident of her team’s ability to be competitive. Two of the program’s returning seniors have also committed to play at the Division II level.

Alyssa Zangari and Tristyn Hudson will be playing lacrosse next year at Molloy College and the University of Cumberlands respectively. Before graduating, though, they look to leave their mark on this year, their senior season.

Sileo had nothing but flattering words and confidence in not only Zangari and Hudson, but all of her returning seniors. She spoke briefly about her seniors on the offensive end. “We have some seniors that are extremely good athletes and lacrosse players. Their ball-handling skill and overall lacrosse IQ is excellent and they are a real threat on offense.”

Sileo also lauded the work ethic and overall improvement over the offseason of sophomore goalie Colleen Lynch. “She has been working really hard over the past year,” Sileo stated. “She has improved a lot for this season.” 

One of Glen Cove’s strengths last season includes it’s defensive pressure on the ball, and Sileo believes that the success her team saw defensively last year is only a glimpse of what is yet to come with so many returning starters. 

As the regular season begins to inch closer, Sileo had asked some of her players what their goals and aspirations for the upcoming season would be. The answers, as she stated, were of a resounding hunger to take home the conference title.

Sileo, a college lacrosse player under LIU head coach Meghan McNamara (.861 career winning percentage), looks to take what she calls her “true lacrosse education” taught by McNamara and instill it in her team. 

Glen Cove has athleticism and skill on the offensive end and the ability to hassle opposing team’s with various layers of irritable pressure to make up a stingy defense. The path to ultimately attaining a conference title has already begun, on the frigid grass fields of Glen Cove, attaining a team identity and working towards one true goal.

Glen Cove is set to open its season at home against West Hempstead on March 21.