Coach: Promising Season Ahead for Girls Soccer in Comsewogue

The Comsewogue Lady Warriors soccer team might be a wait and see equation in 2011 but the season should provide plenty of excitment from an eager, young team.

Comsewogue posted a poor winless summer campaign following a successful 2010 season last year in which they qualified for the playoffs and even won an out-bracket playoff game over Hauppauge before being eliminated by Connetquot 3-1 in round one of the playoffs.

Still, head coach James Bentley viewed the season and the future prospects as promising.

“Even though we are back to League V this year we are still considered a large (AA) school,” said Bentley. “We lost nine seniors to graduation and return 11 players including four seniors who played last year. I think that we’ll be ready to play and we’ll make some people unhappy once we start playing and we’ll be right in there.”

Several players are key to the continued success of the Lady Warriors in 2011 including two-time All-Suffolk County junior goal keeper Kim Comstock who has averaged less than a goal-and-a-half allowed over her freshman and sophomore seasons.

Others expected to pay dividends this year are junior midfielder Sloane Lipshi who won All-Conference kudos last year, defensive midfield sophomore Michaela Friedman and senior fullback Francesca Dawes.

“We have a young team,” said Bentley. “Offensively, I think that we’ve got everyone buying into our system of possession. We have a strong midfield. I’m a defensive coach and with our offense and we will possess the ball and then attack. Our midfield is our strength and we’ll use that. We don’t have one outstanding player but a team will move the ball around well.”

Teams in League V that will pose a threat to the Lady Warriors include Islip, Huntington and Kings Park. But once the playoffs begin expect Sayville to pose strong opposition.

Bentley believes his team is definitely a playoff team but topping the success of one year ago may be reaching beyond their scope. Expect Comsewogue to be a thrilling team this year and to be in at least every game of the regular season. Competitive is the operative word. How successful they will be remains to be seen.

The Lady Warriors opened their season on Saturday against Byram Hills from Section I with league play beginning Sept. 20 at home against Harborfields following a rigid non-league schedule of games against Mt. Sinai, Centereach and Sayville.

However the season end for the Lady Warriors, 2011 should be an exciting one.