Both ESM boys and girls soccer end season on losing notes

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The Eastport South Manor girls soccer team ended its season with a 2-0 loss at Huntington on October 28.

Huntington scored a goal in each half en route to the victory. ESM sophomore Erin Gomez made 12 saves in goal.

The Lady Sharks finished their first ever season in League IV and first season under new varsity head coach Jim Robson with a 3-9 league record and 3-10-1 overall.

Robson jokingly said his team’s season can be summed up “with a red cross.”

“We had a lot of injuries that changed the complexion of the team,” he said. “It takes a while for a team to gel and when you’re already weeks into the season that’s tough to do.”

Seniors Meghan Morrissey and Ashley Mendez, junior Kerri McKeever, sophomores Stephanie Gratto, Briana Hayes, and Kelly Blank and freshman Korin Karszen all missed games here and there throughout the season because of illnesses and injuries.

Robson did say there were a number of players who stepped up in the absence of those who were injured. Gomez replaced Hayes in goal after she went down with an ACL injury and Robson said she did a “great job in goal for us. She helped make the games very competitive.” Robson also said senior Katie Karl, junior Rachel Van Landingham and freshmen Shelby Gilman and Emily Gleason, who were called up from the junior varsity, also did a good job filling in for the injured players.

Robson said there was a big learning curve for his team since it had to acclimate itself to him and a new league.

“There is a big difference between JV and varsity,” he said. “I think the league was a very competitive league with a lot of talent, which, when healthy, we can compete in. One of the differences between us and the other teams is that they had more depth and everyone has injuries in soccer, but I think those teams could handle more of the injuries.”

Mendez, Morrissey, Karl, Nicole Lopiparo, Shanise Brown, Jessica DiMartino, Tina Hannaford, Briana Burwell and Amber Karkota will be graduating in 2010.

As far as next season goes, Robson is looking for improvement and thinks his team should be better next season since the JV did fairly well this season.

“I saw some of their games this season and we have some pretty strong players,” he said of the JV team. “I think we’ll be improved. Hopefully our record will improve, but I think team balance will improve as well.”

Key players that should return next season are Gratto, Hayes, Gomez, Gilman, Gleason, McKeever, Rachel and Stephanie Van Landingham, Emily Boge, Rosie Cherry, Kristen Clark and Dene DiMartino.

Boys

The Sharks lost their final game of the season at Huntington as well 2-1 in overtime on October 28.

ESM took an early lead in the first half on a goal from Danny O’Sullivan. Huntington tied the game however in the second half then won the game in the first overtime.

ESM finishes its season with a 3-10-1 League V record and 3-12-1 overall.

Additional information was not provided.