Coming in as the number two ranked team in the LILJ preseason rankings are the Bayport-Blue Point Lady Phantoms. Last year was a historic season that saw them go a perfect 17-0 and win the Class C Long Island Championship. Their come-from-behind win over Manhasset earned them their first championship in the history of the program. This year it will be about running it back and trying to defend their title. Coached by Ryan Gick, he is looking forward to seeing some of the returning players have expanded roles this season.
“I’m very excited to watch some of our returners take on larger roles on and off the field. One of our strengths is the core of our returners but we also graduated some major pieces. I think the girls are excited for some of the new leadership opportunities in front of them. There’s also an opportunity for some fresh faces to break into the starting lineup or even make the team. I am a huge believer in competition and the impact it can have on the overall success and growth of the group. I think having healthy internal competition amongst our team will only make us stronger and prepare us for those critical moments late in the season.”
Overall Bayport returns almost all of their key contributors on the offensive end from last year. The team had only two players from their offense graduate in the class of 2021. Those players were Alex Fusco, and Maddigan Miller. Fusco and Miller were a huge part of their offense last year, finishing first and second in goals and points on the team. The returning attack unit will feature Natalee Fabrizio, Haydin Eisfeld (Stony Brook), Mairead Kelly, Maggie Kennedy (Quinnipiac), and Mikaela Mooney (Albany). Fabrizio is a great playmaker, leading the team in assists last season. Eisfeld is a dual threat with the ball in her stick. She has the ability to attack the cage as well as distribute to others. She led the team with 25 points in the LILJ High School Winter League. Kelly is an extremely well-rounded player that also poses as a threat to score and facilitate while also making an impact by getting ground balls and causing turnovers. Kennedy and Mooney made big contributions as sophomores and will surely produce even more as juniors. Kennedy will also spend time in the draw-circle after taking a bulk of the draws in the winter league.
Bayport has a bevy of talented midfielders that include the Maserati Katie Clare (Yale), Keira Rooney (Florida), Julia Fusco, Aubrie Eisfeld and Ava Meyn. The duo of Clare and Rooney are juniors and were huge part of their success last year, combining for over 60 points. Fusco is a sophomore that brings a combination of scoring and really good defensive prowess. She also creates extra possessions for her team with her ability to pick up ground balls at a high level. Eisfeld and Meyn both made contributions as just eighth graders last year and are fresh off of a big winter. Eisfeld has tremendous speed and is a serious threat in transition. Meyn can make things happen with her ability to finish around the cage, and is also an asset in the draw-circle.
Statistically Bayport had the best defense of any team on the island last season. They allowed a total of 65 goals in 17 games which was good for just under four goals per game. They have a tenacious ride that teams often have a hard time clearing the ball against. Three of their top defenders are Christine Dannenfelser (Hofstra), Madison Weybrecht (JMU), and Tessa Organas (LIU). They will once again be playing in front of goalies Felicia Giglio (Navy) and Skylar Fig (LIU). This is the best goalie combination on the island. Last year they were both above 70% in saves. This will once again make Bayport and extremely tough team to beat because they are able to win games without needing to score a lot of goals.
Bayport has plenty of youth on the roster which shows the depth that the program has. In addition to the young players that have already seen playing time and made contributions, three young guns that could be in the fold this season are Julia Kroog, Emma Brown, and Erika Kruescher. All were participants in the winter league which means they already have a taste of what it’s like going against other varsity teams.
With a full schedule slated for 2022 Bayport will play against a slew of upper-echelon teams. Here are some of the notable games on the schedule this season.
Bayport @ Rocky Point (3/29)
Bayport @ Sayville (4/4)
Shoreham @ Bayport (4/6)
ESM @ Bayport (4/11)
Bayport @ West Babylon (4/19)
Mt. Sinai @ Bayport (4/22)
Bayport @ Comsewogue (4/25)
The program has some recent alumni who have taken their game to the next level and are either current or former college players. Some of their notable alumni include Kerrigan Miller, (USC) Courtney Weeks (BC), Cassidy Weeks (BC), Kyla Zapolski (Albany), Madison Waters (USC), and Ailish Kelly (Stanford).
