Alexa Baek of Syosset girls soccer is Newsday's Athlete of the Week
As Alexa Baek goes, so goes the Syosset girls soccer team.
And things are going very well.
Baek, a junior last season when Syosset fell to Massapequa in the Nassau Class AAA championship, scored three goals in a 3-1 victory over the reigning champions on Monday, earning her Newsday Athlete of the Week honors.
Baek has 11 goals through six games, with 10 of them coming during Syosset's current four-game winning streak.
Syosset coach Tyler Arnone knows that teams will start to scheme against the second-year starter but is confident she'll continue to have a dominant season.
"You think that, for someone to score 11 goals, there will be some selfishness in her, but there isn't," Arnone said. "She makes the right decisions, and when it's her moment to put the ball in the back of the net, she has certainly done well."
"Once we score as a team, there is this energy and a great vibe," Baek said. "We work together even harder as a team when we score more. My role on the team is to play striker, and the main task is not just to score goals but to keep pushing and stay motivated until the end of the game."
After losing to currently undefeated Ward Melville and Garden City to begin the season, Baek scored a season-high four goals in a 6-0 victory against Floral Park on Sept. 9, jumpstarting her scoring dominance and Syosset's winning streak.
"In the first two games, we were still trying to figure out what was working," Baek said. "We finally found our groove. Everything seems to be working well and is put together."
In addition to excelling on the field, Baek still finds time to make school a priority by managing her time properly and maintaining an A grade point average.
"She's a real role model," Arnone said. "I got to know her personally, so it's nice to see her succeed not just on the field but off it as well."
The multi-sport athlete, who also plays lacrosse in the spring, is committed to Iona for lacrosse.
"I was very excited when I had the opportunity to commit to a D-I college program,” Baek said. "I've been playing since I was in kindergarten, so I look forward to playing lacrosse in college."
Even with her excitement to go to college and begin a new chapter of her life, Baek still has her eyes set on returning to the Nassau AAA championship match and helping Syosset win the title.
"My biggest goal for the season is for our team to win the state championship," Baek said. "It's always been my dream to win one."