When the Manhasset Bullets eighth grade girls Long Island Junior Soccer team returned from an outstanding performance at the AAU Nationals in Disneyworld this past February, the players and coaches set three goals for the spring season. The first was to improve their possession control style of game by playing "up" in the 15-year-old division. The second was to find a new goalkeeper, as the team goalie for the last five years moved away from Manhasset. The third was to continue the lacrosse development of the plays by playing a PAL lacrosse schedule on the team's off days with the objective of cross training and enveloping a Bullet lacrosse squad to compete in the future with the same level of excellence on the lacrosse field as the team has achieved on the soccer field.

So how did these young ladies perform under a rigorous cross training schedule from early March to late June?

The Bullets soccer team dominated the older LIJSL teams by outscoring their opponents 44-12 as they blazed to a second consecutive division runner-up title with a record of 7-1-1. From season kick off , to playing short, to winning in the last minute in physical contest, the defensive wall of four played superbly by Caitlin Karges, Venice Bruno, Amy Torpe, Tori Maino and Farah Visslailli repelled attacking forwards time and again with a zonal defense played at a level ahead of their age. Whenever an opposing player was getting behind the defense to threaten the Bullet keeper, out of the open space "stepped up" a covering support player smartly positioned inside and goal side of the attack to kill opposing drives and create attacking opportunities.

If an opposing team was skillful enough to break through the Bullet defense, attacking players found themselves facing rookie keeper Amanda "The Force" Belichick who not only learned her skills under fire of the season, but developed the keeper attitude to challenge and shut down attacking drives from one-on-one breakaways to sizzling corner kicks.

When the heat of the sun stretched the players' stamina in the 80 minute games of the older division, the selfless seasoned play of midfielders Cassie Pond, Keegan Forte, Kendra Bernard, Ashley Devins and newcomer Caitlin McDonnell turned possession and passing into brilliant diamonds as midfield control was ruled by gazelle style, dancing drives, flashing missiles, roaring shots and turbo charged speed that consistently established the Bullet "Rock and Roll" rhythm.

The Bullet offense displayed excellent form throughout the season by winning throw-ins, converting corner kicks to goals and playing smart, aggressive soccer. The "run and gun" Bullet offense played by Kate Breslin, Lindsay Buhr, Kate Donoghue and Lauren Taylor shredded opposing defenses with blistering speed, moves and firepower that consistently found the back of the net.

The heart and desire of these athletes to compete and improve their game gave the team another record setting year that included their 100th victory and a winning percentage over six years of over 80 percent. For most players and teams, this accomplishment would be enough, but since these athletes intend to play two or three sports in high school and hopefully into college, the coaches reached out to Bullet players who had played on the team before to form a tournament lacrosse team registered with the US Lacrosse organization in Maryland.

As the regular PAL lacrosse season was winding down, 15 Bullet lacrosse players registered with US Lacrosse traveled by bus to the Siena College campus outside Albany to compete in the Adirondack Lacrosse Classic.

This tournament, one of the oldest lacrosse events on the east coast, offered top flight competitors from Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. The competition as well offered a look into the future, for this was the first time the girls would play lacrosse with checking allowed.

The US Bullets Lacrosse squad by draw was slated to first square off against Amherst...a team that had developed over the last five years with checking as part of every game. The Manhasset players were nervous before the contest, not knowing what checking would do to their game, but armed with self-confidence, talents learned from the "two pass" developmental rule of PAL, and their stick skills, the team took the field and prevailed 12-4.

Excellent stick control and on target passing with cutting moves dominated the field with Meredith Hotarek as home, Lyndsay Fee as second home and Tess Palalano and Caroline Buhr as third home controlled the crease area and the attacking zone. Kate Breslin and Lindsay Buhr as attack wings and Kate Donoghue as center roamed the field and scorched the opponents with a give and go rhythm. Mary Galvin, Annie Sears, Amanda Rinfret and Liz Nuzzolese were fearless as D Wings, routinely winning loose balls, while Alison Devins, Chris Kitt and Amanda Belichick kept attacking players away from the home cage by anticipating attacking drives as point and cover point in front of Ashley Devins, goalie "par excellence."

After the Amherst victory, our girls lost a tough physical game 5-6 to Concord (which the fans believed Manhasset had won) and then, late in the day, our Bullets prevailed over Nashua 9-7, looking as if they had checked all of their lives.

The Manhasset tradition of lacrosse excellence and Bullet attitude of fear none, team work and always going for it, gave the US Lacrosse Bullets a memorable day and a great future!