Sullivan West girls’ soccer: a rebuilding year

By TED WADDELL
Posted 9/18/19

LAKE HUNTINGTON, NY — No doubt about it, when you lose 14 seniors, nine of whom were starters, you’re most likely headed into a rebuilding year as new players fill leadership roles and …

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Sullivan West girls’ soccer: a rebuilding year

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LAKE HUNTINGTON, NY — No doubt about it, when you lose 14 seniors, nine of whom were starters, you’re most likely headed into a rebuilding year as new players fill leadership roles and the team works on playing as a cohesive unit under the guidance of a first-year varsity coach.

On Tuesday, September 10, Sullivan West hosted a girls’ varsity soccer match featuring the home team Lady Bulldogs (0-4) against the Lady Spartans of S.S. Seward (3-0).

Although the final tally sheet showed an almost equal time of possession between the two squads, Seward really dominated the match, outgunning the Lady Bulldogs 5-0.

At 18:35 in the first frame, Seward’s Noelle Conde drilled one into the net past Sullivan West’s hard-pressed keeper Riley Ernst, to put her team ahead 1-0 at the half.

In the second half, the Lady Spartans ruled the field racking up four unanswered goals: Danielle Mabee assisted by Shannon Sgombick (07:05), Sgombick (10:59), Sgombick (17:25) and, to close out the match, Alexa Roach, off an assist by McKenzie Richner (30:13).

Stats (thanks to Sullivan West’s assistant coach and resident statistician Kurt Scheibe): shots (SW 4, Seward 26), shots on goal (SW 1, Seward 15); corner kick (SW 1, Seward 8).

Seward is led by two captains: senior and regular goalie Alexa Roach, along with Morgan Kelly, a junior.

Joe DiMattina, returning coach of the Lady Spartans, said that for the past six years, he’s championed a summer soccer league that helps pave the road to success for Seward’s girls’ soccer squads.

“We’ve got girls who want to come out and play hard,” he said, adding that Roach, his leading scorer started out the game against Sullivan West as keeper, due to the regular goalie being temporarily sidelined.

DiMattina said one of his main goals for the season is to get back to the finals, as for several consecutive seasons in the past, the Lady Spartans were at the top of the heap, and he wants to return to that vaulted standing.

For Sullivan West’s girls’ varsity soccer program, there’s a new kid on the block, as Diane Hahn took over this year from veteran coach Mike Ellmauer.

Hahn, who previously served as coach of the jayvee team for seven seasons, is assisted this year by Anthony Durkin and Scheibe.

“They are definitely big shoes to fill,” said Hahn of taking over the reins from Ellmauer, adding, “We’re starting off fresh, trying to create my own trend here… I have to build them up, working together and getting their foot skills under control, with stronger passing skills.”

The Lady Bulldogs are captained by a quartet of seniors: Morgan Kraack, Arieon Frazier, Brooke Kloss and Maggie Russell.

Frazier and Russell are returnees from last year’s team, while this is the first season on varsity for Kloss and Kraack.

“Admittedly, it’s going to be a tough season,” said Hahn, noting that junior stopper/outside defender Emily Bair “is in a leadership role… She’s a natural leader, leads by example, works hard, plays hard. The girls naturally tend to look to her.”

Lady Bulldogs, Wullivan West, Lady Spartans,

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