Valley Stream brings balanced attack

Valley Stream District’s girls’ lacrosse program enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2017 with a 7-3 mark against conference opponents and 10 wins overall while barely missing a playoff berth.

This spring, coach Jessica Ricotta is looking for bigger things with 11 seniors leading a close-knit group.

“My goal for last year’s team was to finish in the top three of our conference and we reached it,” Ricotta said. “This year we set a goal to win it. We’ve made drastic improvement in our ability and the girls have a great relationship on and off the field. There’s a positive vibe.”

Defeating an athletic and fast Freeport team in the non-league opener, 11-8, despite having only the minimum amount of practices required for games only boosted Valley Stream’s confidence, Ricotta said. “Freeport is in a higher conference and is a very fast team, so it was a great win,” she said.

The balanced offense Ricotta is seeking throughout the season was evident out of the gate. Seven different girls scored, led by senior Audrey D’Aulisa and junior Isabella Morales’ three goals apiece, and three others recorded assists.

Senior goaltender Caitlyn Lopeck, an outstanding three-sport athlete from South High, made 13 saves. She served as the backup at the position last spring while spending a lot of time on defense. “She’s our leader in the back, and to play as well as she did in the opener was a big confidence booster,” Ricotta said.

The defense in front of Lopeck features versatile players who can also contribute in the midfield. Senior Dana Schimmenti is a returning starter from North High and someone Ricotta said “gets everyone going and motivated.” Sophomore Catherine Rivera, from Central High, gets herself in the right spots at the right times, the coach noted, and uses her anticipation skills to beat opponents to groundballs. Senior Janez Francis, from South, has picked up where she left off last season and brings a combination of speed and endurance.

Freshman Natalie Mendoza (Central) led the Middle School and Junior High teams in scoring and represents the future of the program. She scored twice in her varsity debut and Ricotta thinks it’s just a sign of things to come for the starting center-midfielder. “Natalie’s a rock star,” Ricotta said. “She can play anywhere and do anything. She uses her soccer skills to her advantage.”

D’Aulisa (North) is a two-time All-Conference midfielder and captain who topped 50 goals a year ago. “She has amazing stick skills and is someone defenses will focus on,” Ricotta said. Morales (North) is quick and aggressive to the cage and will be utilized in the midfield and attack, while senior captain Kathleen Kearney (North) serves as the offensive playmaker and runs the show from behind the cage. She had two assists in the opener.

Ricotta expects Wheatley to pose the biggest challenge to the Conference V top spot. Valley Stream plays seven of its first eight on the road but closes with six straight at home, including Wheatley on April 30.