Unity a key for Freeport

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Anabel Lopez played lacrosse at Freeport High School from 2004-08, between the team’s glory days in the 1990s and a winless season last year. As the new head coach of the program, her goal is to revive it despite ongoing challenges.

“Unfortunately, the team did fall off, but we see a lot of dedication and talent, and I do believe we will bring it back,” Lopez said. 

The Red Devils dropped a pair of games to open the season, but Lopez and her assistant coach, Michelle Rendon, a fellow program alumnus, have a long-term recipe for success that emphasizes family-like unity, commitment and communication.

Junior Lenox Pinczehelyi is the squad’s leading scorer, netting four goals in an 11-8 fall to Valley Stream on March 17 and three in a setback to Herricks, 16-10, on March 28.  

“Lenox takes initiative to go one-on-one with her opponents, and takes any chance she can to shoot,” Lopez said.

Like Pinczehelyi, senior Nia Merritt is an all-around player who excels at both offensive and defensive wing and scored two goals in both games.

“From ground balls to goals to draw control to turnovers, Nia really gets up and down the field,” Lopez said.

Junior midfielder Hayley Matthews has registered three early-season goals and is also adept at draw controls. Junior attack winger Daniella Trujillo leads the team with 15 groundballs.

Defender Jaeda Lamar consistently communicates and hustles, as does fellow senior Saadiya Toliver, a defensive winger who notched a goal against Herricks. Goalkeeper senior Tazmeya Allen tallied 45 minutes against Herricks and had 14 saves. Her backup is junior Perla De La Cruz.

The Red Devils, who compete in Conference IV, have an seasoned roster with 10 seniors that include Ashley Guillen, Hannah Cotter, Jada Brown, Dillon Finch, Rose-Star Pierre Paul and Ananda Norris. Sophomore attacker Kelcey Woodward has shown drive as a varsity newcomer. 

“Kelcey comes in with intensity and with a willingness to learn,” Lopez said. “She really is very committed.”

The patient rookie coach recognizes her senior-heavy team must adapt to a new staff that asks defenders to markup opponents and follow their cutters and to play in an offensive scheme that stresses constant ball movement. 

Established in 1985, Freeport’s girls lacrosse team won a county championship in 1992 and competed in the finals in ’93 and ’97. The program gradually declined starting in the early 2000s, when area youth programs were dissolved, although an undefeated 2012 team won a Conference V title. Lopez only started to play lacrosse in eighth grade but earned two All-Conference honors as a low defender and helped lead Freeport to the playoffs. 

“For a lot of these girls, they pick up a stick only for four years and play varsity, whereas in other districts they have more to offer and the players start playing as young as seven or eight years old,” she explained. “A lot of our girls don’t have that chance. So we start at a different level than everyone. I believe that Freeport works three times as hard as any other district.”