Wantagh has eyes on prize

Bobbi Colavita brought the Wantagh girls lacrosse to big heights after founding the program in 1997 and now a new leader is taking the baton.

Jaclyn Coyne, a former Division High School standout who played on collegiate level at LIU- Post, took over as Wantagh’s head coach for the 2014 season with Colavita remaining on staff as an assistant. Coyne, who coached Wantagh’s JV sqaud in 2013, is striving to continue Colavita’s success, which included six county title game appearances, and with the veteran coach by her side bring the Lady Warriors to an even higher level.

“We have our eyes set on the counties,” Coyne said. “We are really working hard to bring this program to the next level.”

Coyne inherits a Wantagh team that finished 12-6 and just missed out on a seventh county finals appearance in eight years with a heartbreaking 11-10 semifinal loss to eventual Long Island Class B champion Manhasset.

Three senior captains who will be playing college women’s lacrosse next year are leading Wantagh’s charge to make 2014 a historic season including midfielders Brenna Connolly (Florida) along with midfielders Paige Craig (Cornell) and Stefanie Wenz (Marist.)

“The team is really solid this year and the team camaraderie is awesome,” said Wenz, who played defense her first two years before converting to midfield as a junior. “We’re working hard every day to make a deep run into the playoffs and hopefully end the season on a high note.”

Wantagh’s senior leadership is balanced out by underclassmen ready to emerge as the future Warrior leaders. Many of Wantagh’s large sophomore class have already committed to play at the collegiate level including midfielder Nikki Sliwak (Maryland) as well as attackers Kaitlyn Cerasi (Massachusetts) and Darcie Smith (Hofstra.) Other key contributors include junior twin sisters Hannah Cullen(defense/midfield) and Carly Cullen (defense), who both committed to play at Winthrop University, as well as sophomore attacker Madison Conway.

On defense, Wantagh graduated goalie Sophia Gambitsky, who now plays for the University of Colorado, and has turned to sophomore Grace Beshlian to patrol the cage after starting on JV as a freshman. Beshlian registered 11 saves in Wantagh’s 6-4 win against North Shore on March 26.

“She has done a phenomenal job right off the bat,” said Coyne of Beshlian. “She is a very vocal leader.”

Working toward limiting the shots Beshlian faces are defenders Michele Smith, Shea Weber and the Cullen sisters.

For the second straight year, Wantagh is competing among an elite group of 10 Nassau County teams selected to play its regular season schedule in Conference I, which is nicknamed “the power league.” The group consists of the 10 best girls lacrosse teams in the county regardless of school size determined by coaches and in addition to Wantagh also includes Massapequa, Farmingdale, Garden City, Cold Spring Harbor, North Shore, Manhasset, Long Beach, South Side and Plainedge. After the regular season, Wantagh will compete in the Class B playoffs where Coyne expects Manhasset and Garden City to be the biggest competition toward earning a county title. 

Wantagh split its first four games, with both losses coming by a goal to West Babylon (17-16) and Garden City (8-7).

“We are taking it one game at a time,” said Coyne. “We have our eyes on the prize.”