PLAYOFFS: Lady Cyclones Lose to Garden City, 16-7

For South Side to have a chance against heavy favorite Garden City in the Nassau County Class B semifinals on Wednesday, they needed to play sharp on offense, avoid turnovers and try to contain as many of the Lady Trojans sharpshooters as possible.

Garden City's offense, however, ran like a well-oiled machine in the first half, building a 10-2 lead en route to a 16-7 win. The Lady Trojans will now play for the Class B championship on June 1 at Hofstra.

"We freelanced," Garden City head coach Diane Chapman said of her team's offense. "They work really well off each other, they read the game well and see what's there and go with it."

South Side took a 1-0 lead three minutes into the game on a goal by sophomore Michaela Lynch, but that was the last time the Lady Cyclones would have the lead. 

Garden City stud Caroline Tarzian poured in four goals — three in the first half — and senior midfielder Mikaela Rix recorded a hat trick in the win. Alexandra Bruno, Catherine Dickinson, Barbara Sullivan and Jenna Fuchs each contributed two goals. 

By the time the game's first 25 minutes were complete, South Side was down 10-2. The Lady Trojans effectively ran the give-and-go, with the giver slicing through the stack and relentlessly firing on goal. South Side turned the ball over six times in the first half, and Garden City made them pay each time.

"Our sticks were up in the passing lane, it's what you need to do defensively," Chapman said. "They were there with the second slides to help with the doubles."

The Lady Trojans won 12 of 16 face-offs and South Side never found its offensive rhythm. "They face guarded them a lot more," head coach Meaghan Healey said of Garden City's defense on Emily Considine and Jackie Cifarelli. "We told them, 'They're going to get doubled and face-guarded, this is where the cut has to come through,' but we were late on the cut and by the time we made the cut, they were already covered."

Lynch finished with a hat trick and Cifarelli had two goals. Senior goalie Kelsey Gregerson finished with 10 saves. Healey said this was one of the best groups she's coached in her tenure at South Side, and she was proud of her girls. "I told them, 'If you go out and give it all you have, no matter what the score is, you have nothing to hold your head down about,'" she said. "We never gave up,  they're just the better team."