South Side extends shutout streak

Many a name changed, including the coach, but South Side’s dominance on the girls’ soccer field remains.

The defending New York State Class A champion Lady Cyclones blanked their ninth straight Nassau Conference V rival last Friday at Skelos Sports Complex, beating Bethpage 5-0 behind a hat trick from freshman Christina Klaum.

Klaum opened the scoring 4:14 into the game when she headed in a corner kick off the foot of junior Julie Beyar, who had three assists. Junior Sam Ford added two goals for South Side, which improved to 9-0 in conference play and 9-1-1 overall.

“We played so well today,” first-year coach Shannon McEntee said. “We had all the pass sequences working. It was beautiful to watch.”

More balls made their way over the fence and onto Peninsula Boulevard than they did to Lady Cyclones senior goalkeeper Lauren Lopresti, who was credited with one save. A defense led by Ford, fellow junior Caitlin Wallace, senior Beth Gidiscin and freshman Kelsey Ford was airtight once again.

“We’re enjoying it,” McEntee said of the shutout streak, “but we’re not talking about it. The girls are putting their best foot forward whenever they’re on the field. I’m really proud of them.”

Bethpage goalie Nicole Feruzza (22 saves) kept the margin at 1-0 at halftime, but it didn’t take long for the Lady Cyclones to find the net in the second half. The second goal was a carbon copy of the first, with Sam Ford heading in an indirect kick by Beyar at the 58-second mark. Klaum scored in the third and sixth minutes, and Ford capped the scoring off another picture-perfect pass from Beyar.

“We scored the same type of goals the first time we played,” said McEntee, referring to a 3-0 win at Bethpage on Sept. 25.

Klaum, who has spent the majority of the season at midfield, assumed the team lead in goals with nine. “When I saw her during tryouts, I knew right away she was very talented,” McEntee said. “She’s playing fantastic soccer.” 

Senior Caitlin Hines ranks second on the team in goals with six, senior Jackie Cifarelli has five, and Beyar has three goals and seven assists. Junior Alyssa Aydinoglu had a recent two-game stretch with four goals and two assists, highlighted by a hat trick in a 5-0 win at Malverne/East Rockaway on Oct. 13. 

The shutout streak of Lopresti and sophomore backup Kelsey Berki is that much more impressive considering the defense has been without senior fullback Dana Ahern for two weeks due to injury. McEntee said Ahern will likely miss the last four regular-season games. “We’re hoping she’s back for the playoffs,” McEntee said.

A big test comes Friday at Plainedge, which has won seven of eight conference games and played South Side tough in a 1-0 storm-shortened loss on Sept. 16. “They’re loaded with seniors and play with a lot of heart,” McEntee said. “We’re looking forward to the challenge.”