Many people would call it hope, luck, wish, etc., but not Coaches Goldberg and Schneider. They called it belief! This season the Island Trees Girls' Varsity Soccer team faced its toughest schedule in many years. They were to compete against the strongest teams in Nassau County.

1. Massapequa ranked No. 1 in the state and this year's Class AA State Champion - ranked in the top 10 in the nation.

2. South Side - Class A State Champion (12 times) and have lost only one Nassau County playoff game since 1986.

3. Farmingdale - Class AA Finalist

4. East Meadow - Class AA Semifinalist

5. Baldwin

6. Garden City

7. Cold Spring Harbor - Class C Finalist and ranked in the top 10 in State Class C.

Despite a losing record, the Lady Dawgs were headed for the playoffs with two confident coaches pushing them forward. They had gained the respect of all the coaches in the conference and were in every game.

In the first round, the Lady Dawgs were victorious as they defeated Valley Stream North 4-0 (another great game by goalie Jen Macaro).Val Ahrens had three goals and Meg Sguigna had one goal.

The next round was the Quarterfinals against Conference II Clarke where they won 4-1. After trailing 1-0 early in the game, IT surged ahead to score four unanswered goals. Val Ahrens scored twice and Meg Sguigna and Kristen Walsh also scored. Assists by Michelle Topel, Renee Balvin and Ashley Moore.

Onto the semifinals to face a strong Valley Stream South team. The game went back and forth as the defense of Sarah Burleson, Kristen Burgos, Steph Kaiser and Meg Carey repelled the central offense. With 10 minutes remaining in the game, Meghan Sguigna fed a pass to Kate Moore who sprinted toward the goal and put in the "gamer" from 6 yards out.

Onto the finals against powerhouse South Side where the Lady Dawgs lost in a valiant effort. Everyone played hard to the end.

Belief is what the coaches had and it paid off. Not many people thought they would go this far, but the important people did! You got to believe!

Both Coaches Goldberg and Schneider would like to thank all the parents for their support and Coach Schwartzberg for her appreciated and great job with the JV. A special thanks goes to Matt and Eric (volunteers), Alissa (trainer) and, of course, Frank Staab and John Gandolfo (perennial scorekeepers).

Award Winners:

Jen Macaro - All-County

Kristen Burgos - All-Class

Meg Sguigna - All-County

Meg Carey - All-Class

Michelle Topel - All-Class

Kate Moore - All-Conference

Val Ahrens - All-Class Scholar Athlete

Exceptional Seniors Game participants are Jen Macaro, Meghan Sguigna and Michelle Topel.