South Side girls’ lacrosse still has plenty of tests ahead, but coach Rob Devlin has had little to grapple with so far. With a slew of juniors stepping into leadership roles ahead of schedule, the defending county champion Cyclones are currently 7-2 and poised to make noise for some time in Nassau Class C.
“We’re playing teams well,” Devlin said. “And now I think we're really getting the hang of it going into the second half of conference play. We’ve got a few games left. Hopefully we're hitting our stride here at a really good time.”
With a 17-5 victory over Lynbrook last Friday, in which eight different Cyclones players scored goals, South Side picked up its fifth straight victory in a rocking start. Since a 12-11 victory over Syosset on March 31, double-digit totals have become the norm in a dominant winning streak.
Early defeats to Cold Spring Harbor and Yorktown could have gone either way, but Devlin said losing those games was productive long-term.
“I don't think the girls were overconfident, but I think it was good to see two really good high-caliber teams,” Devlin said. “I think the girls realized we played them well, but there's stuff to work on, and they’ve been working on it everyday in practice.”
Junior attackers Skye Korten and Bobbie Creo have been extremely productive for South Side through nine games, as Korten has scored 25 goals with 10 assists, while Creo has 12 goals and 13 assists. They lead an elite offensive core that also includes strong juniors Caitlin McNulty and Olivia Mayerhofer.
Reese Long, another junior in a more technical role. works on draw controls for South Side and has done her job efficiently, though it has not been unusual to see the midfielder contribute on the scoring side either. Sophomore Kiera McNamara (12 goals) and freshman Juliet Diorio (25) have taken early roles alongside her in the midfield and also proven highly productive.
Junior leadership does not end with the offense, as juniors Lauren Lozito and Austen Finnegan have led South Side’s defense in several smothering efforts.
“The best part about it is everybody realizes that this isn't just a bunch of girls saying, ‘oh, I'm a leader, and you must follow,’” Devlin said. “They are looked up to by these girls through their work ethic and everything else that they do.”
Only two teams have managed to score more than seven goals on the Cyclones so far, a feat that can also be credited to goaltender Tara Cody, who has 62 recorded saves. In addition to being a stalwart in goal, she is also one of South Side’s few senior leaders, alongside the likes of midfielder Charly Testerman.
Molly Gominiak garnered special commendation from Devlin, as the sophomore defender has had to fill in for an injured teammate and done so capably. Players like Lozito and Finnegan have helped to pick up the slack, but Gominiak has held up her end on a talented front.
In order to truly prove themselves as contenders, the Cyclones will have to thrive in several crucial matchups going forward. The slate begins with a March 20 game against Manhasset, undefeated in its first eight games, while Massapequa and Garden City will serve as similar acid tests as the postseason draws near.
