Nassau field hockey preview

In Nassau, the three-way struggle atop Class A is like an annual game of "rock-paper-scissor" between Massapequa, Baldwin and East Meadow: one beats the other which beats the other. Last season was Massapequa's turn as they captured their second county title since 2007. The Chiefs did, however, graduate 11 and dropped from League I to II this year.

"It's not all about the championship," said coach Barbara Lowell, who expects somewhat of a shift from clampdown defense to up-tempo offense with this inexperienced group. "Our focus is getting the new girls to jell early on . . . Once we get into October, if we've gotten going, then we can look ahead."

Class A

Massapequa will feature All-County midfielder Katie Cooney, Taylor Hein, Amanda Brody and Kelsey O'Brien.

Baldwin reached the final last year, toppling defending champ East Meadow in the semifinals on penalty strokes. They'll return most of their starters including Moira York, Courtney Berg, Valerie Giovanelli and Gianna Navarro.

East Meadow's roster remains intact. The Jets will be led by All-Long Islander Toni Turrisi along with Catherine Masterson, Marie Minutoli and goalie Ariana Ovadia.

New Hyde Park, which reached the Class B semifinals, moved up to Class A. The roster will feature 10 seniors including All-County goalie Priscilla Paulose, All-County midfielder Paige Sferrazza and Kerri-Leigh Heesemann. "We'll definitely be competitive," coach Kori Brocking said, "but it will be challenging because we're walking in blindly."

Sewanhaka enters its second season as a varsity program. The Indians are led by lefty Michelle Mongiello, who could be poised for a big senior season.

Class B

Garden City, the perennial superpower, is again the favorite after reaching the state semifinals last season. The Trojans graduated two All-Americans (Mariah Pewarski and Eleni Andromidas) but still have a loaded roster that includes Mikaela Rix, Alex Bruno, Caroline Tarzian and Catherine Dickson. They've won 13 Long Island championships since 1991 and three of the last five state titles.

Manhasset, which reached the county final, will likely be the Trojans' biggest rival again. The Indians are led by star midfielder/defender Jenny Vlahos, Cali Mantikas and Ali Perez.

Cold Spring Harbor has emerged as one of the elites in this class the last two seasons, having come up just short in the playoffs against Manhasset and Garden City. The Seahawks are a contender and a dangerous team with good speed. They lost standout Isabella DeLiso but return senior midfielder Michelle Adrancyzk.

North Shore, which reached the quarterfinals, has forward Evelyn Yeung, Demi Shanahan, Jelysa Fuertes and Caroline Kosiba.

Seaford went undefeated in League III last season and this year makes the jump to League I with 12 returning seniors. The Vikings are led by All-State standout Laura Murphy, forward Amanda Bausert, goalie Amanda Lipari, and Katherine Grebosz, who led them with 15 points in 2009. "Last year was the first time we'd ever won our league," coach Tricia Foley said. "It's a pretty big jump for us. We were ranked 14th in the county, now we're in the top 5. It's a lot of pressure, but we're optimistic."

Class C

Friends Academy is the five-time defending champion and the Quakers return most of last year's squad. The high-scoring Quakers lost All-Long Islander Mindy Weiss, but they're now led by senior midfielder Taylor Ross along with Savannah Sebesh, Erica Sklar and sophomore Bridie Gahan, who was the third leading scorer in Nassau with 23 points.

Carle Place, which reached the final, graduated 12 and has a tough schedule that includes East Meadow, Baldwin and Massapequa. The Frogs return All-County forward Taylor Martello, but it's almost entirely a new team. "We'll be competitive; we always are," coach Carol Nesdill said, "but we're very young and we've got a lot to learn."

Friends Academy coach Christine Botti said that fact doesn't alter the Quakers' outlook much. "You can never underestimate [Carle Place]," she said. "We'll have to work just as hard as we do every year."

Wheatley and Oyster Bay, both of which have new coaches, also will compete.