Girls Soccer Captures Long Island Championship

Playing in the Long Island championship match for the first time in more than 10 years, the Lady Trojans took the hour bus trip to Dowling College in Brookhaven to face the Golden Flashes of Sayville. 

The Suffolk County Class A champions carried a 17-1-0 record into the match against Garden City (17-2-2). Although the game was being played in Sayville's backyard as the home team, the Trojans had an impressive crowd backing them, led by a crew of shirtless hooligans cheering them from the sidelines.

From the opening kickoff it was apparent that the Garden City offense was looking to attack Sayville's defense with their speed and quickness to the ball. Led by senior forwards Barbara Sullivan and Victoria Aldrich, the Trojans moved the ball through the midfield but had trouble getting past the back line of the Golden Flashes. 

There were several opportunities in the opening 15 minutes that were created with good sideline runs by Jess Stein on the right and Liz Stutzmann on the left but each was shut down once they gained the 18-yard box. In the early going the closest that Garden City could get was a Christina Cesarini corner kick and a pair of long throw-ins from Michelle Rotondo that all found the box but were cleared before the Trojans could get off a good shot.

On the defensive side of the ball it was Srey Powers and Cesarini settling the middle of the field, winning many of the 50-50 balls that Sayville tried to push over the top, while Amanda Murolo and Rotondo controlled the outside runs and turned the ball back up the field.  

The Trojans finally got things going with the clock showing less than 10 minutes in the half. Controlling the midfield and moving the ball with some nice passing, the Garden City girls were able to get several chances from Elizabeth Mahoney, Sullivan and Stein. Finally, at about the three-minute mark, Sullivan was able to pressure the Sayville defense into a turnover and took the ball right at keeper Olivia Coley-Bishop. Looking to her right, Sullivan fired a shot to the short side and tucked the ball inside the post and past the diving Coley-Bishop. The crowd erupted – Garden City had the 1-0 lead late in the first half.

The lead was short lived, however, as the Golden Flashes did not sit back. With so little time in the half most teams would have been stunned after letting up the goal. But they pushed the ball right up the field to go on the attack. With a burst of speed down the left sideline they gained the box with less than two minutes left in the half. As Trojans keeper Christina Mangels came off her line to grab a strong cross the ball ricocheted off a defender's leg and past Mangels for an own goal and a tie game. As the whistle blew to end the half the game was tied at 1-1 but the time of possession needle pointed to Garden City.

Coming out for the second half the teams looked to be fired up. And it was Garden City in control for much of the half. With continuous pressure on the Sayville defense, the Trojans mounted attack after attack only to be turned away – by the backs, the keeper, the crossbar and the post! There were chances for Victoria Aldrich in the opening six minutes, a Cesarini free kick 13 minutes in, a Stein blast at the 15-minute mark and a Delsey Attardi header in the box at 17. All good scoring chances for the Trojans while their defense held solid and only allowed long balls to keeper Mangels.

At about 21 minutes into the half Garden City thought they had the tie breaker as Cesarini fired a 50-yard free kick at the goal. As Sayville keeper Coley-Bishop went up to get the ball it seemed to keep rising, but a little too much as the ball hit the underside of the cross bar and Coley-Bishop was able to push it out of bounds. On the ensuing corner kick Sullivan was first to the ball but her one timer went just wide.

Keeping up the pressure in the last 10 minutes Garden City had several more chances. Sullivan went one on two in the box and was able to fire a shot that the keeper made a good save on and with three minutes left it was Katherine Malhame down the left sideline beating her defender and firing a shot across the goal area that just went wide.

But the best chance came with less than a minute left in regulation as Cesarini stepped up and laced a shot from about 40 yards. With defenders flying in and a pile up at the 18-yard line, the ball made its way through traffic to the far post where Victoria Aldrich got to it and squarely hit the ball – only to see it carom off the goal post and back into the hands of the keeper. No goal. The game was going into ovetime.

With two exhausted teams coming out in overtime it was looking like only an unusual break was going to decide the game. And that break wasn't going to come at the hands of these two ferocious defenses and quality keepers. Overtime in the high school game is two 10-minute halves. If the game remains tied, the teams play two five-minute halves of sudden death; first goal wins. If the game remains tied, the match will be decided by penalty kicks.

In the two 10-minute periods it was the Sayville team gaining back the momentum and taking the play at the Garden City defense. Controlling the play in the midfield the Golden Flashes kept Trojans keeper Mangels busy and the defense on their heels but couldn't break through. There were several good chances for Sayville with Kim Marra, Madison Hoon and Dariann Selitti all getting good looks at the goal but not able to hit the back of the net. For the Trojans it was in the hands of the defense.

The two tens ended and it was on to the five-minute golden goal periods. First team to score gets a ride to States. But these periods went much the same as OT, few scoring chances and fewer quick bursts to the ball. It did appear that the Golden Flashes had a little more jump in their legs but the Trojans defense dug deep and held off any attack.

Fans were treated to 110 minutes of terrific soccer, but it was still anyone's game. Penalty kicks are a tough way to finish off such a well-played match but the game must be decided. So Coach Mike Heedles handed in his first five shooters as did the Sayville coach. Keepers Mangels and Coley-Bishop took their marks. The first shooter was Cesarini, who in the second OT period had cramped up. Cez got her legs under her and buried her shot into the corner. Then it was Sayville's Selitti stepping up to the mark, but her shot rocketed over the bar – no goal.        

The second shooter for Garden City was Elizabeth Mahoney, who stepped up to the ball and calmly placed her shot inside the left post and into the back corner of the net. Two for two for the Trojans. The second kick for Sayville came off the foot of Kelly Santangelo – who fired a hard shot low to Mangels' right. The only problem was that Mangels guessed correctly and stopped the shot. Trojans 2, Sayville 0.

Up next for Garden City was defender Amanda Murolo. After playing a strong game on the back line for the Trojans, she buried her shot into the upper 90 to the left of the keeper. Garden City was now three for three. For Sayville, next up was Lindsey Lyons. As she stepped to the spot for her shot, the remaining Garden City shooters – Barbara Sullivan and Michelle Rotondo – anxiously watched, wanting a chance to put one in. They also knew that if Mangels stopped this shot the Trojans' dream of going to States would really happen. Lyons fired a ball that just cleared the crossbar. What seemed like the whole village of Garden City exploded.

The girls have turned this playoff run into one for the record books and surely a November to remember. For the seven seniors it will be a trip to Cortland to cap a fantastic four years. For the team, and as most in the stands that watch this group know it really is a team, going to States is the only way they wanted to end the season. After not being mentioned in pre-season Nassau polls and then receiving only a sixth seed in the playoffs, the girls have played with a bit of a chip on their shoulders knowing that they were better than anyone gave them credit for. 

The final straw may have been the fact that when they arrived at Dowling for the championship match Saturday the game programs had Sayville playing South Side. The Garden City Lady Trojans may have finally laid to rest any issue of how good they are.

Congratulations to head coach Mike Heedles and assistants Scott McCauley and Mark Quigley – they had the girls prepared each step of the way in this fantastic run. Athletic director Nancy Kalafus was all smiles after the match as the girls presented her and the high school with another LI championship – the first for girls soccer!

Not to be forgotten, a special thanks to the fans that followed the team out to Brookhaven. Not only were the parents there but more than 200 Garden City fans arrived ready to support these fine ladies - led by Kyle Lynch and his traveling band of shirtless hooligans! What a tribute.