Massapequa girls lacrosse proving they belong on top of Long Island
Jessica Giller of Massapequa, third from left, gets congratulated by teammates after scoring a goal in the first half of a Nassau girls lacrosse game against South Side at Massapequa on Thursday. Credit: James Escher
Massapequa was one of the youngest teams in Nassau Conference I girls lacrosse last year — and it still won a county title. This season, Massapequa is ready to prove itself as one of the best on Long Island.
Host Massapequa defeated South Side, 14-9, in Nassau Conference I on Thursday. Jessica Giller had four goals and two assists and Joely Caramelli added two goals and three assists in the win. They each added five draw controls.
“Last year we were a really young team,” Caramelli said. “We’ve been working on the side all offseason and we are coming into this season ready to go.”
Massapequa went 4-9 in the top conference during the regular season last year. But the chemistry formed last year, highlighted with an 11-8 victory over Syosset in last season’s Nassau Class A final, has Massapequa setting large goals this year.
“I feel like we’re clicking a lot sooner and we understand what we’re trying to,” coach Erin Kollar said. “They believe and they know what it takes to get it done.”
“I think we have a lot of potential for this year,” Giller said. “We just have to work together.”
That teamwork and offensive balance shined Thursday as Ellen Leisen added two goals and an assist, Bridget Valentine had a goal and an assist and Ashley Melillo and Caitlyn Dorman each scored two goals in Massapequa’s conference opener.
“We started a little slow in the beginning of the game, but they all trust each other, they believe in each other,” Kollar said. “We are a very balanced offense with different threats and on any given day, anyone can show up.”
South Side (1-1) scored the game’s opening two goals and took a 3-2 lead with 18:43 remaining in the first half. But Massapequa scored seven of the final eight goals of the opening 25 minutes to take a 9-4 lead into halftime.
Emily Iacobellis had five goals for South Side, including the first two out of halftime to cut Massapequa’s lead to 9-6. But South Side never brought Massapequa’s lead to two goals in the second half.
“It was huge to not let South Side come back in,” Kollar said. “They are a very good team and we just didn’t want to give them that opportunity.”
Massapequa fell to Northport, 10-6, in the Long Island Class A championship last year as it hopes to take last season’s success even further.
“Our team’s really excited entering this season,” Caramelli said. “We’re all getting hyped up, we all work together and are on the same page. I think it’s going to be a really good season.”
“They are definitely hungry to keep winning and keep going,” Kollar said, “and continue this little legacy they are starting.”