This season the ESM Sharks enter the preseason rankings ranked at 16 after going 13-3 last season and appearing in the Suffolk Class B County Finals. They lost in the finals against West Babylon by one goal, and have hopes of getting there again and getting over the hump. ESM is perennially one of the top teams in the county, with nine straight county final appearances, seven county titles, and two state championships. However, this year they will have a very different team from last year. Head Coach Becky Thorn shared what excites her about her team heading into the 2022 season.
“The 2022 season will be a fresh restart for the ESM program. The girls are eager to learn new set pieces, to focus on our individual strengths and grow with our weaknesses. The coaching staff is excited to get the season underway and continue to show what ESM stands for.” -Beck Thorn
A few players that are returning to the 2022 team on the offensive end are Mia Forte (Binghamton), Hailey Kluepfel (Drexel), and Allie Masera (Stony Brook). This unit will have to account for the bulk of the offense with the loss of Celeste Forte, Aidan Carlson, Giana Murphy, Katie McCormick, and Marisa Tancredi. Sophomores Caylin Luciano and Amanda Sweeney saw little playing time last season but will likely have an enhanced role on the team this season. One thing that played a role in ESM’s success was their ability to win low scoring games. Seven out of their 13 wins last year came in games where they scored fewer than 10 goals which shows they have the ability to win multiple ways.
On the defensive end one of their key defenders that is back is Lauren Dunne (Butler) who was part of an elite defense that didn’t allow double digit goals once last year. A few key players that were an integral part of their defense that have graduated are Jules Palumbo, Jen Seebach, and goalie Katie Vahle. Emma McLean is a sophomore defender who should definitely see an increased role this season after getting a little playing time last year. Ashley Langdon will also have the opportunity to be the starting goalie this year as a sophomore.
In a tough Class B conference the Sharks will have their share of marquee games on the schedule this season. A few notable home games this season are against Mt. Sinai (4/5) and Shoreham (5/5). Some key away games are against Bayport (4/13), Rocky Point (4/19), West Babylon, (4/28), and Sayville (5/7).
Throughout the decorated history of ESM’s lacrosse program they have had plenty of notable alumni that left a big imprint on the program. Here are some of the former ESM players that went on to play at some elite colleges across the country.
Kasey Choma-ND
Kelsey Huff-USC
Katie Vahle-Arizona
Kaeli Huff-USC/Stony Brook
Dene DiMartino-Hopkins
Hope Steuerwald-Monmouth
Jaime Biskup-UVA
Samantha Giacolone-ND
Alison Gionta-Marist
Dayna Martinetto-Jacksonville
Rebecca Tooker-JMU
Natalie Fuccillo-JMU
Ellie Masera-Stony Brook
Samantha Filippi-Princeton
