Copiague rises above .500 mark

After a 1-3-1 start to the season, the Copiague girls’ soccer team has turned things around.

With consecutive wins over Hampton Bays, East Hampton, and Wyandanch, the Eagles got themselves back above .500. In those three games, Copiague outscored its opponents 16-1, including a dominant 8-0 victory over Wyandanch Oct. 1.

Nick Lorenzen has been coaching soccer in Copiague for almost 20 years. In his time, he has learned the importance of team chemistry. “I told our players this year that it is important for them to trust each other when they are out on the field,” he said. “Trust that everyone will be in the right positions and it will lead to success.”

Lorenzen pointed out how much depth this year’s group brings to the table. “Nobody is trying to do too much,” he said. “You can’t play like that and expect to win.

“We have especially seen that approach from the seniors. “You can tell that they just want to win,” he added. “Nobody is being too selfish or is trying to do too much. They all want to play more as a team by drawing defenders and finding open teammates.”

Some key contributors include center-midfielders Samantha Fuentes and Daniella Jimenez. “They both have such great vision when they are in the game,” said Lorenzen. “Their connections with our forwards, Anesia Nicholas and Kaylee Campbell, have led to tons of offense.”

In the Eagles’ win over Wyandanch, all four of them found their way on the scoresheet, including a hat trick from Fuentes and two from Campbell. Midfielder Adriana Carbajal also found the back of the net in the shutout win.

While the 16 goals in a three game span was exciting, the Eagles have also done a fabulous job shutting down the opposition. “Anna Cruz and Sophia Martinez have really held the fort down,” said Lorenzen. “They do such a good job in front of our goalie, Leilani Taro, who has been lights out in the box ever since the Huntington game.”

Copiague, which struggled in recent seasons, finds itself in a development league this fall which has led to all competitive games but there are no playoffs at the end of the year. However, that is not stopping Lorenzen’s squad from giving it its all each and every time they step on the field. “Our goal is still to win as many games as possible,” he said. “We want to continue to build this program in a positive way.”

The schedule from here on out consists of opponents that the Eagles have already faced this season so the competition is familiar. “We now know what it takes to win these games,” said Lorenzen. “Like I said, just continuing to trust each other and playing together as a team is all that I want to see. If we do that, I like our chances to continue these winning ways.”