By WestIslipTribune.com
A late-game three goal rally capped by Codi-Lynn Johnson's tally as time expired gave the West Islip High School girls soccer team a dramatic 3-2 come-from-behind victory over Sachem North and the Suffolk County Class AA title. The Lions will play perennial Nassau County powerhouse Massapequa Saturday at Denton Avenue Field in New Hyde Park at 3 p.m.
Johnson, who put West Islip on the scoreboard with 9:06 remaining in regulation, scored the game winner on a shot taken from a spot about 20 yards out in an area midway between the penalty box and sideline to the right of the Sachem North goal. The high arching, twisting shot appeared to freeze Sachem North net-minder Erin McNulty who could do little but watch the shot deflect off the far post and into the goal.
"Unbelievable," West Islip Coach Nick Grieco said of his team's victory. "I watched the last second shot go in and the next thing I saw was everybody celebrating."
Despite being held scoreless through the first 70 minutes of the title game, West Islip continued to pressure Sachem North but struggled to get many high-percentage scoring chances in the first half as the Arrows collapsed its defense around its goal. Many of the Lions' shots either came from high in the penalty box area or were deflected by the opposition. That trend continued through the first 30 minutes of the second half as well.
"I told the team at halftime to keep doing the things they had done all year such as quick throw-ins and fight hard for the 50-50s in the air," Grieco said. "I also told them that once when we would score one, the flood gates would open. But I didn't think this would happen," he added referring to the team's three goals in the game's final 10 minutes.
Following Johnson's first goal of the match with just over nine minutes remaining in the second half, West Islip keeper Samantha Whitney kept her team in the game stopping a Sachem North breakaway with a little more than five minutes remaining in regulation. Three minutes later, West Islip's continued pressure led to back-to-back corner kicks, the second of which resulted in the game tying goal by Mikayla Walton with just over two minutes remaining.
Throughout the game, Sachem North played a conservative, defensive brand of soccer that saw the team take advantage of its limited goal scoring chances. The Arrows took a 1-0 lead 1:14 into the game on a close-in goal by Ashlee Thompson. Jessica Wycoff's tally at 9:57 into the first half put Sachem North ahead 2-0.
The victory over Sachem North completes a four game run for West Islip (14-3-2) through the Class AA playoffs, where Lions defeated Lindenhurst 3-0, Bellport 3-0 and Connetquot 2-1. "We defeated a good team today," Grieco said. "There is a great deal of parody in our division and there are some 13-win and 14-win teams that did not advance this far. Our motto has been and continues to be to show and play West Islip Soccer. And we did that again."
ShareThis