Wantagh aims for new heights

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Paced by a core group of seniors, the 2014 Wantagh girls’ soccer team is on a mission to bring the program to a new level.

Already assured of a playoff spot due to being a part of the highly competitive Conference AB-1, Wantagh was fighting for one of the top seeds as the regular season wound down. Prior to Monday’s regular-season finale at South Side held after press time, Wantagh (9-3-1, 6-2-1 in AB-1) was tied with Garden City for second place.

The Lady Warriors will be hosting a first-round playoff game this Friday afternoon and, depending on seeding, could also play before the home fans in the quarterfinal round on Oct. 28 should they advance.

Wantagh fourth-year coach James Polo credits much of the team’s success to the leadership of college soccer bound tri-captains Tori Flaherty (Marist), Jordyn Klapper (Vermont) and Amanda Profera (Cortland), who helped the rest of the team buy into offseason conditioning.

Profera is Wantagh’s leading scorer with 14 points on 11 goals, while Klapper has chipped in six tallies. Flaherty has helped anchor the Lady Warriors’ defense and has picked up three assists in the offensive end.

“They have really placed emphasis on working together as a team,” said Polo of his three captains. “They have been a mainstay since they were freshmen.”

Other seniors who have been key forces on offense are Melissa Horn and Shannon Kingston along with twin sisters Hannah and Karly Cullen.

“This group of seniors has really changed the outlook on the Wantagh girls soccer program,” Polo said. “They have made it into a program that a lot of people are noticing.”

Wantagh is also driven by junior midfielders Nikki Sliwak and Kaitlyn Cerasi, who have both been on varsity since the eighth grade and are slated to play lacrosse at Cornell and Massachusetts, respectively. Junior Darcie Smith has also added some athleticism to the midfield.

“She plays a toughness style of soccer,” Polo said of Smith, who as a sophomore committed to play lacrosse at Hofstra. “She goes up to get those 50-50 balls.”   

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