4th Ranked Manhasset Lady Indians Team Preview

Our 4th ranked team in our top 20 rankings are the reigning New York State Class C Champions from Manhasset. This year it’s all about looking to defend the title and make it back-to-back. The team is poised to repeat but will look a little different this year without players like Alexis Morton Ashley Newman, Annalisa Massaro, and Despina Giannakopoulos. However they still return the much of last year’s team and are ready to begin their title defense.

Starting with their attack, it won’t be easy replacing a player of Alexis Morton’s caliber, but they still return two top flight attackers in Mia LoPinto and Shea Panzik. LoPinto who’s heading to USC in a couple of years, is a maestro when operating at X. She can attack the cage as a scorer or beat defenses as a feeder. Last season she posted a stat line of 19 goals and 14 assists. Panzik the Vanderbilt bound junior exploded with 41 goals and is in store for another massive season in the scoring column. In 2022 the team had no shortage in offense as they averaged just under 15 goals per game which was the most of any public school on Long Island.

The midfield has plenty of talent returning as well in Caitlin Barrett, Holly Newman, Nicole Giannakopoulos, and Lauren Perfetto. Barrett the senior Duke commit is capable of taking over games with her dominance on the draw circle. She was instrumental in their run to the state championship, scoring 34 goals with eight assists. Newman the Cornell committed junior and Giannakopoulos the junior committed to Harvard combined for 39 points last season. Perfetto who’s committed to Loyola also enters her junior season and is likely in for a breakout 2023 season. Perfetto is a true two-way midfielder that is a tough cover when going down hill in transition. She also does the dirty work defensively and brings valuable intangibles to the game.

Shifting to the defense, it starts with their top defender Alexandra Schneider the UVA commit. Schneider is an absolute ball-hawk that is matched up against opposing teams top offensive players. Schneider is also more than capable of playing midfield and managed to score 10 goals last season. Senior Alex Maliagros and junior Madeleine Chun, both committed to Dartmouth will also be difference makers on this side of the ball. The goaltending features three goalies on their roster including senior Allie Lulov, junior Hannah Rubin, and freshman Ruby Cacioppo. Last year Cacioppo was a key component as an eighth grader and rose to the occasion in pivotal moments, showing that the bright lights of postseason play weren’t too big for her.

Like each year they will play a tough schedule against their competition in the Power Conference, and will also play some of the best high school teams that are nationally ranked. They get the regular season going with a contest against one of Connecticut’s best teams the Darien Blue Waves on April 1st. They will also be playing for the second consecutive year Sacred Heart (4/10) and St. Anthony’s (5/11). Of their opponents in the Power Conference some of their marquee games include Long Beach (4/19), Cold Spring Harbor (4/27), Massapequa (5/2), Garden City (5/6), and Wantagh (5/8).

 

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