Wantagh seeking playoff run

While the Wantagh girls’ soccer team is assured of a postseason spot competing in a new ability-based conference, the team has plenty of motivation to make a statement in the regular season.
The Warriors are striving for one of the top seeds in the Nassau County Class A playoffs a season removed from a close 1-0 setback to eventual Long Island Class A champion MacArthur in the quarterfinal round. Wantagh’s new league, Conference A/B 1, features Plainedge, North Shore, Seaford, Lynbrook and Friends Academy. 
“Since we’re in the top conference, we’re fighting for seeding for the postseason so every game that’s a conference game means something,” said 13-year Wantagh head coach James Polo. “We want to be a top four school in the conference and let the playoffs dictate themselves from there.”
Wantagh suffered a blow before the season with senior defenders Isabella Teresky and Grace Fulton both suffering ACL injuries in the spring. Polo said he is hopeful that Teresky, who was a captain last season, can make it back for the end of the season depending on her recovery.
With Teresky and Fulton both out, the defense will rely more on senior Sienna Diglio at outside left back and sophomore Kaitlyn Baudo at stopper.The backline also features contributions from seniors Isabelle Witte and Bridhid Smith along with junior Riley Forthofer. 

Senior goalie Isabella Astazia is starting her fourth season in net and recorded six saves in a season-opening 1-0 win at Lynbrook on Sept. 12. She’s backed up by younger sister sophomore Gabriella Astazia. 
Offensively, the Warriors are led by junior midfielder Juliana Cerasi, a versatile player who recently committed to play women’s lacrosse at James Madison University. Cerasi tallied a key goal in Wantagh’s 2-1 second round playoff win against Bethpage last year and converted a free kick from 30 yards away to tie the score in a 1-1 draw with Long Beach last Thursday. 
Sophomore outside midfielder Shannon Udell also brings experience to the offensive atack as a third-year varsity starter. The offense features a number of players rotating forward and midfield early in the season including junior Gianna Paccione, who scored the lone goal in the Lynbrook victory off a cross from Udell with two seconds left in the first half.
Wantagh travels to Garden City Thursday for a 5 p.m. kickoff before hosting Friends Academy Saturday at 10 a.m. in the first of four straight home matches. The Warriors will square off at home against neighborhood rival Seaford Wednesday, Plainedge on Oct. 4 and Lynbrook on Oct. 6 with all matches beginning at 5 p.m. 
“It’s early in the session and we’re growing and we are nowhere near the team that we can be,” Polo said. “This next week will be our test for the season to see where we’re at as we play some pretty good competition and we will build off of that.”