HSMSE Lady Dragons reach PSAL Class B girls' soccer playoff finals

HSMSE girls' soccer team - Lisa Gordis

The High School for Math, Science and Engineering girls’ soccer team won 6-1 in their 2014 PSAL Class B semi-final match against Herbert H. Lehman High School on November 11, 2014.  Their victory sets up a final match against Julia Richman Educational Campus at 10AM on Sunday November 9th at Randall's Island Field 10. The game will be broadcasted live online via the NFHS Network.

The Dragons comfortable win was a result of a combination of constant hustle, an aggressive mindset, and their experience in the playoffs.

“This is the best team we've ever had at MSE,” said coach Regina Zafonte. “They know how to channel their nerves into positive energy and do amazing things. These guys are now experienced playoff players and can handle the pressure.”

Freshman midfielder Alex West was seemingly everywhere on the pitch. West controlled the midfield with her aggressiveness and superb ball handling. When given the opportunity, West took shots from outside of the box, resulting in two spectacular goals. Despite her tremendous impact on both the game and the season, West remained humble in victory.

"Being aggressive, man marking their best player, and getting the step ahead by scoring the first two goals in the start [won us the match]," said West.

Another player who embodied the team’s hustle mentality was junior forward Galit Wiener. All three of her goals in the game came after sprinting for either crosses or deflections off of Lehman’s goalkeeper.

"We all came out determined," said Wiener. "We've been to the playoffs before and have been let down. We knew it could happen again and we've come so far already, so we wanted to give it our best. Everyone played 100%."

The Lady Dragons’ back line was just as impressive as their offense. The defense didn't even give Lehman a shot on goal for the first 30 minutes of the game. In fact, the most pressure sophomore goalkeeper Annabelle Shultz faced were from five corners that were easily cleared due to the great defending. The only slip up was a late goal, but the Lady Dragons were already up 6-0 at that point.

“Our defense was impenetrable," said Zafonte. “They were first to the ball and didn't allow anybody to get by them.”

The team's push to the finals has been a result of both quality leadership and great team chemistry. If the continue to play with the same sense of urgency and aggressiveness in the final, the team could bring HSMSE its first citywide varsity championship in school history.

"We have very good chances [in the final]," said West. "We're very good together working as a team and we're good at stepping up to the challenge."

Back to the comfort zone

HSMSE girls' soccer team / John D. Louie

The High School for Math, Science, and Engineering girls’ soccer team returned to the B-Division with a bang this year. The Lady Dragons responded by showing that they were at home by going 9-2 in the regular season. As the second best team in their league they advanced to the second round of the playoffs.

You need to look no further than the ‘09-’10 season to see when the team last had a record this good, going 10-0. That year they also managed to win one playoff game. “They all just work better together now,” said first year senior goalkeeper Fahmida Ferdousi. “They are more coordinated.”

This year’s team replicated the success of the ‘09-’10 team. The only difference was their two losses. Both losses were matches against the undefeated Julia Richman Educational Center. A key reason for their first 5-0 defeat against Richman on September 15, 2012 was the absence of sophomore defender Sahar Saedi and Ferdousi. In their rematch on October 8, 2012, they managed to keep the score at 2-0. The players on defense came back in the game and played well.

“When we were put in the A-Division, it was really great because we played amazing teams, but we weren’t ready for it,” said senior defender Sara Louie about the drop from the A-Division. The team went 4-9 last season, an impressive record for a school that has a size of about 450 students. They were matched up against teams like Stuyvesant and Beacon High School (who later went on to win the championship that year).

Although many players will be leaving next year, the future is bright for the Lady Dragons. Their youth shows much promise and many of the seniors feel positive of the seasons to come. “Sahar’s powerful kicks, they really stand out,” said Ferdousi. “There [also] was Galit [Wiener]. She’s very fast and I think she steals the ball fairly easily from other players.”

“I am very optimistic about the team’s future,” said coach Regina Zafonte. “Although we are losing quite a few stars – Felicia, Sara, Tammi, Leila, Hannah, Gabby, Fahmida – I have no doubt that new talent will emerge and existing players will step up their game to fill those absent cleats.”

Contributed to by Sadeon Martin