A New Era for Pierson Field Hockey

A new era is starting this fall for the Pierson/Bridgehampton field hockey team.

After losing a tightly contested Long Island Championship to Carle Place at the end of last fall, the Whalers graduated some of its most seasoned players in Mia Gangemi, Tahnie Sullivan, Meredith Spolarich, Maddie Cohen, Eleana Merola and Sophia Beech. Gangemi and Spolarich were five-year varsity players, while Sullivan played for four years, with most being a part of the team’s run to a state semifinal appearance in 2021.

In addition to those lost to graduation, Kim Spolarich, who jumped into the role of head coach just before the start of last season and had said it was likely a one-year appointment, stepped down as head coach in the offseason with her daughter Meredith now attending college. Laura DeSario is entering her first year as a math teacher at Pierson Middle-High School, but brings a wealth of field hockey knowledge to the team and the hope is that she will stabilize the head coaching position for Pierson.

After graduating from Ward Melville High School, DeSario was a two-time All-American field hockey player at Gettysburg College in 1998 and 1999, eventually returning to her hometown, where she coached within the Three Village Central School District coaching both field hockey and lacrosse. After giving birth to triplets, DeSario took some time off from teaching, but with those triplets now 9 years old, she was looking to get back to being a math teacher and Sag Harbor not only had an opening there but atop its field hockey program as well.

“This opportunity was just perfect,” she said. “It’s definitely a rebuilding year for us after losing six seniors and only having two seniors this year, so what more of a perfect time to come in during a transformation of the team. We have a great group of girls who are hard working and have positive attitudes. It’s really been fun.”

While there may be many new faces on the Whalers this season, there will be some familiar ones as well. Eva McKelvey and Lily Perello are the team’s only two aforementioned seniors and have been providing the team with leadership early on, DeSario said. And junior Cali Wilson, entering her third year on varsity, is returning along with her mother, Heidi Wilson, who will continue to be an assistant now under DeSario.

DeSario said freshman Lola Eldridge has really stood out so far, as have juniors Hannah Donahue and Grace D’Angelo.

Pierson begins its season against Suffolk County Class B runner up and neighbor East Hampton this Thursday, August 31, at 4 p.m., and then will host Eastport-South Manor in its first home game at Mashashimuet Park on September 6 at 4:30 p.m.

“Everybody has been really fantastic. They’ve all welcomed me with open arms and I fell in love with the team immediately,” DeSario said. “They want a successful season, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what they can do. I know they’re coming off a lot of successful seasons, but the goal coming in is to continue to develop the sport of field hockey and hopefully get more girls involved in the younger levels and build from there. Ultimately, we want to have a successful season, make the playoffs and going all the way would be great, but the focus is on developing.”