West Hempstead improving skill level

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Building a girls lacrosse program at West Hempstead hasn’t been easy. With the lack of a feeder program or a junior varsity team, and a dearth of players who pick up a stick more than just a few months out of the year, simply being competitive has been a chore.

The Rams were winless in 2016, but with a new head coach and mix of athletic underclassmen and veteran players, they appear to be on the path to respectability. The team is 1-2 overall in the early part of the season (1-1 in Nassau Conference V.) 

The return of the ability-based scheduling format has West Hempstead playing among teams that it expects to be able to compete with. Awaiting the Rams on the schedule are Sewanhaka, Malverne/East Rockaway, Roosevelt, New Hyde Park, Great Neck South, and Wheatley.

Suzanne Kenney, who coached many of the players on her roster at the middle school level, is hopeful that her program is moving in the right direction. “The skills are coming along and we’re coming together as a team,” Kenney said. “We’re building. There are going to be some bumps in the road against the stronger teams, but we should be competitive. We’re focusing on improving skills and having a good experience. We have the potential to be a playoff team in the future.”

With only five seniors on the roster, the Rams are young all over the field. Sophomore Jenny Lian has been tasked with the responsibility of keeping the ball out of the net. The young net minder picked up her first varsity victory in a 17-1 win over Hempstead, and had nine saves in a recent loss to Valley Stream District.   

The backline is extremely young, but the athletic unit is adjusting well to the speed of the varsity game and improving. Junior Katherine Burgess, freshman Mirtha Sevilla, and sophomore Attalah Innis anchor the group. Junior midfielder Taylor D’Alessandro also chips in on defense. Hard-working freshman Kristine Romero brings the defensive group more athleticism.

West Hempstead’s strength is at midfield. D’Alessandro, a gifted soccer player, is fast, has strong stick skills and a knack for complementing others. Senior Haley Destasio has strong lacrosse IQ and the ability to score. D’Alessandro and Destasio each put up three goals and two assists in the victory over Hempstead. 

Freshman Grace Destasio is the team’s go-to player, and a big part of the future of lacrosse at West Hempstead. With 14 goals over the team’s first three games, including six against Hempstead, the younger Destasio is on her way to putting up big numbers in her first season with the varsity.

Freshman Alexa Virgo is strong and talented at attack. Virgo found the back of the net three times against Hempstead. Junior Briana Bhola gets to the cage well and can finish. Senior Briana Tavares also contributes at attack.

The Rams return to action on, April 20 when they welcome in Great Neck South. Game time is scheduled for 4:15 p.m.