Nice Start for Young Lady Vikings

With one senior, three sophomores, a freshman and an eighth-grader logging a good chunk of minutes, ups and downs can be expected of Port Washington's girls' basketball team, but second-year coach Dennis Trottier has reason to be excited.

The Lady Vikings split their first eight games of the season and are 2-1 in Conference AA-III after defeating Carey on Dec. 22, 50-33. They went 5-9 in conference play last season.

"We've improved by leaps and bounds in the first six weeks," Trottier said. "I'm satisfied with what we've accomplished so far. A young team will have lapses, but we've competed in every game and we're gaining confidence."

Closing the 2009 calendar year by avenging a pair of losses to Carey last season was a big step according to Trottier. Senior forward Emma Horowitz scored 14 points and ripped down 16 rebounds while sophomore forward Hayley Kerr added six points and seven boards in the victory. "Carey pressed us out of the gym last season," Trottier said. "We did a nice job breaking their press and knocking down shots."

Christina Leonard might be the youngest starting point guard in the county but it didn't take long to prove she belongs on the varsity court. She was a factor in the Carey game, keying the press-break and contributing seven points. "She has an unbelievable handle and can get the ball to the rim," Trottier said. "Not too many people believe she's in eighth grade."

The addition of Leonard allowed the coach to move sophomore Emily Rosenthal off the point to shooting guard, giving the Lady Vikings a consistent offensive threat from the outside. Rosenthal is averaging 8.8 points per game and hit for a team season-high 21 in a non-league loss to Carle Place on Dec. 12. "Emily is a great athlete and the most competitive kid I've coached," Trottier said.

Sophomore Ariana Spagna is another guard and a tenacious defender, and freshman Ali Seltzer brings energy off the bench along with a host of others. It hasn't been uncommon for eight or nine Lady Vikings to show up in a boxscore.

Rosenthal drained a NBA-range three-pointer in a non-league defeat to Mineola in a game played at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 19. "It was a fantastic experience despite the loss," Trottier said. "Our game followed Duke-Gonzaga. We changed in the auxiliary locker room and all the girls had their name announced."

Conference play resumes this week with trips to Hempstead (Tuesday, Jan. 5, at 4:30 p.m.) and Hicksville (Thursday, Jan. 7, at 7 p.m.). Port Washington's next home game is Jan. 14 against Long Beach at 6:15 p.m.