Sports

PSAL Championship Division girls lacrosse preview

Beach Channel enjoyed magical rides to consecutive PSAL city titles, but the bulk of those gritty teams has graduated. Star Cynithia Smalls is now at Howard and Tolagbe Olatunbosun and Idalia Viard have moved on after beating Tottenville twice in dramatic fashion in the finals.

“There will be a lot of fresh faces in the starting lineup,” Dolphins coach Sam Innes said.

He does return an all-round force in Whitney Brown, who scored 33 goals and dished out 19 assists last season and will be needed to do more in the newly formed eight team championship division. Her position will be listed as midfield, but she will likely be all over the field making plays. Sophomore Shevana Henry could turn into the team’s No. 2 option and get plenty of help from Courtney Gallagher, Tabatha Rosario and Sabina Triunfel. Innes is looking for some to step up and be more aggressive.

“Offensively we have some work to do,” he said.

Returning junior Tierra Holmes will lead an inexperienced defense. Sophomore Tianna Parkes is quickly turning into a solid goalie in her first year that the position.

Curtis graduated just six seniors from a team that lost to Frederick Douglass in the opening round of the playoffs. The hope is that a veteran bunch can lead the Warriors back to the title game for the first time in three years.

“This year we have a lot more experience going into the season, a lot of juniors and seniors now and a couple of sophomores with a year experience under their belt,” Curtis coach Matt Gonzalez said.

Junior midfielder Taylor O’Gara, who scored 27 goals a year ago, will shoulder the offensive burden. More will be asked of sophomore attack Emilia Matusik, who found the back of the net 17 times last season. Allison Ulsh and Kidane Kinney will be the Warriors’ playmakers at midfield and Jenny Datan will add depth at attack. Gonzalez is please to have junior goalie Erin Jacobson back with a year under her belt and top defender Mary Anderson.

“Hopefully she is going to be a difference maker for us this year,” Gonzalez said of Jacobson.

Midwood isn’t a roster littered with stars, but it is a deep group of very good lacrosse players.

“I don’t think we have to count on any one or two kids to carry us,” Hornets coach Paul (Chick) Chakrian said. “I think we have such a deep squad that we have an array of scorers who can change from day to day.”

Senior Tiffany Sobers, a cerebral attack, will likely take over the role of the team’s primary goal scorer after it lost much of its firepower from a year ago. She should get scoring help from midfielder Moriam Soetan, junior attackTianna Chin and Linhen Beltran, who could see time at attack and midfield will be ask to be playmaker. Ruth Pluviose, Karisma Alce and Ashley Harris could come into their own at midfield.

“Hopefully it’s now their time to shine as the primary guns,” Chakrian said.

Returning starter Rebecca Leger will lead an experienced defense with Nikita Stewart Jenny Yeung and Jamila Dinkins. Junior Brittany Lee, who split time in goal last season, returns between the pipes hoping to lead Midwood into the finals after three consecutive appearances in the semis.

Coach Sara Crosby believes her Frederick Douglass team is in a rebuilding and learning year with a core of five seniors back surrounded by talented freshman. The Lions strength with be at middle let by poised senior Ajani Khalfani and classmates Maway Hne and Sade Thompson.

“She has a great field sense, but she also is a huge leader on and off the field,” Crosby said of Khalfani. “Everyone looks to her to set the bar for what they need to be.”

The same can be said of third-year goalie Abayomi Are. She will be also to lead an inexperienced defense with fellow senior Bernasia Prescott. Second year player Cheyenne Taylor is a budding faceoff specialist on attack, where she will be joined by freshman Marina Camacho.

“It’s going to be a huge help,” Crosby said of having Are back. “She is taking on a leadership role and directing them and getting them on the right track.”

Queens High School of Teaching and Stuyvesant will also look to compete.