Wantagh aiming for next step

Wantagh got over a major hump last year when it surged past longtime nemesis Garden City in the Nassau Class B girls’ lacrosse semifinals. In 2015, the focus for the Lady Warriors is earning the program’s first county title.

Wantagh is off to a solid start in its championship quest with an 8-0 record, including scoring double digits in goals in seven of those victories. Second-year coach Jaclyn Coyne hopes with a large core from last year’s 12-5 team that fell to Manhasset in the county finals back, Wantagh could be poised for another deep spring run. Since the program was founded in 1997, the Lady Warriors have reached the finals stage seven times.

“We’re going to try and take it one step further,” said Coyne, who shined as a player at Division High School before competing on the collegiate level at LIU Post. “We want to get a county title in our back pocket.”

Wantagh is led by a host of college-bound players including senior twin sisters Hannah Cullen (midfield) and Carly Cullen (defensive midfield), who will both be suiting up for Winthrop University next year. The Cullens serve as captains with junior goalie Grace Beshlian (Connecticut) and senior defender Shea Weber, who is still undecided on her college choice.

“They are all extremely coach-able,” said Coyne of her four captains. “They have done a great job bringing the team together.”

Wantagh’s roster is loaded with junior talent including midfielders Nicole Sliwak (Maryland) and Darcie Smith (Hofstra) along with attackers Kaitlyn Cerasi (Massachusetts) and Madison Conway (Albany). Junior defender Michele Smith (New Hampshire) also helps key Wantagh’s defense in front of Beshlian, who earned All-County honors with some key saves in Wantagh’s playoff run last year.

“She is so vocal,” said Coyne of Beshlian’s leadership in net. “She has made some huge saves.”