Coming in at 19 in the LILJ preseason rankings are the Cold Spring Harbor Lady Seahawks. Led by Head Coach Danielle Castellane this team has seen a lot of recent success. Last year, they went 6-9 but won the Class D Long Island Championship. They have also won state championships in 2018 and 2019. This year they will be looking to repeat as Class D champions and bring home the state title for the third time in five years. Coach Castellane says that the chemistry between the upperclassmen and underclassmen is stronger than ever.
Among those upperclassmen who are returning for their senior season are Ava Tighe (Florida), Franny Donohue (Williams), and Caroline Kiernan (Fairfield). Tighe is one of their starting midfielders and had 39 points last season which was the second most on the team. Expect her to slide into that number one role with the loss of her partner in crime Anna Spehr who is now playing Middlebury College. Donohue plays attack and finished last season with 17 goals and 18 points. Keirnan is back after missing last season due to injury and will anchor the defensive unit.
Returning in the cage is arguably the top freshman goalie on the Island Maya Soskin. She got her first taste of varsity experience last year and was their starting goalie as an eighth grader. She compiled 130 saves and had a save percentage just under 50%. The experience she gained from last year will only help her moving forward as she prepares for year two on varsity.
Coach Castellane also says they have a strong freshman class and they are also looking to add some of those pieces to the varsity team this year. Sophomores Amelia Bentley and Jenna Kessler should also have their playing time increased this season at the midfield position.
Throughout the history of the Cold Spring Harbor lacrosse program there have been players who have gone on to play at some of the top colleges in the country. A few recent notable alumni are Caroline Debellis (Duke), Sophia Taglich (Boston College), Nicole Mormile (Middlebury), Anna Spehr (Middlebury) and Grace Tauckus (Princeton).
This season the Seahawks have a schedule that will see them play some of Nassau’s other elite teams. They play home games against Massapequa (3/28), Wantagh (4/25), and Syosset (5/5). On the road they will go against Garden City (3/31), Manhasset (4/9), and South Side (4/13).
