VSS in conference driver's seat

Valley Stream South has picked up where it left off last season on the girls’ soccer pitch to assume the early driver’s seat in Nassau Conference AB-V.

After closing 2016 with five consecutive wins, the Lady Falcons have opened 2017 in similar fashion and edged much-improved Seaford, 2-1, in a showdown for first place on Sept. 28. Freshman Yanelia Fernandez scored with 10 minutes left in the opening half and 16 minutes into the second half to help South (5-0-1) rally from an early deficit.

“It was a hard-fought and physical game with a nice crowd and a playoff atmosphere,” VSS coach Demetri Adrahtas said. “It was a lot of fun for the girls.

“It was big because we didn’t want to be in second place at the break,” he added. “We’ve been there before and it’s not easy playing catch-up the second time around the schedule.”

Fernandez, who scored a few goals a year ago as an eighth-grader while playing impact minutes in the midfield, had a “tremendous individual effort when we needed it,” Adrahtas said, regarding the tying goal which was assisted by sophomore Kayla Camacho. The winner came off a feed from senior Allison Santos.

“We were on our heels for the first 20 minutes, but the first goal gave us a lift and I really liked how we played in the second half,” Adrahtas said. 

South was without its leading scorer, sophomore center-forward Bryana Pizarro (10 goals, 10 assists) due to a calf injury that could keep her sidelined through next week. “She’s an elite club player who’s playing with us for the first time and she’s been dynamite from the beginning,” Adrahtas said. “She commands so much attention from a defense it opens up so many other things for us.”

Camacho (8 goals, 8 assists) and senior Caitlyn Lopeck (6 goals) flank Pizarro to form a relentless 1-2-3 offensive punch. Camacho ranked among Nassau’s leading scorers a year ago, while Lopeck has made a seamless transition from defense.

The Lady Falcons are anchored in the back by reigning Conference Player of the Year Lindsey Smith at center-back. An All-County choice already drawing serious interest from Division I college programs, Smith is in her fourth varsity campaign and has all the tools, Adrahtas said. “She’s an incredible athlete who controls everything in the defensive zone,” he said. “She’s been our best player for years and has developed into a real leader.”

Freshman Hayley Roberts is another highly skilled center-back to helps make life easier for junior goalkeeper Natalie Peralta, a third-year starter. “Hayley is a gifted athlete with great field vision,” said Adrahtas, who also lauded the efforts of sophomore fullbacks Christina Hillery and Allison Camacho. 

The Lady Falcons are halfway to their No. 1 goal. “We want to win the conference and make the playoffs,” Adrahtas said. “In three of the last four years, we had the playoffs in sight right down to the final day of the regular season and didn’t get in. This time we want to get there and put ourselves in position to jump up a conference next year.”