By Greg Sleter
Ask West Islip High School Girls Soccer Coach Nick Grieco about the success of his team this year and he quickly stresses one word: "teamwork." Well, that teamwork combined with talent and perhaps a bit of magic has Grieco's team two wins from a state title as the Lions knocked off Massapequa 1-0 in sudden death double overtime to win the Long Island Class AA Championship.
The win, West Islip's first Long Island Championship since 1989, puts the Lions into the Class AA state semi-finials, where it will meet defending State Class AA Champion and top seeded John Jay-East Fishkill on Friday at SUNY Cortland.
Three days after its dramatic come from behind victory against Sachem North in which the Lions (15-3-2) scored three goals in final nine minutes to win the Suffolk Class AA title, the last of which was scored by Codi-Lynn Johnson as time expired, West Islip again kept its fans on the edge of their seats.
Meeting perennial Nassau County powerhouse Massapequa under the lights at soggy Tully Field in New Hyde Park, West Islip and the Chiefs went toe-to-toe for 106 minutes — 80 minutes of regulation play, 20 minutes of overtime and slightly more than six minutes of sudden death double overtime — until sophomore Brooke Kerrigan ended the game with 3:16 remaining in double overtime.
Kerrigan's goal came off a loose ball in the Massapequa box following a near perfect left-footed corner kick by sophomore Amanda Martinez. The ball was loose inside the box for a moment before Kerrigan put the game away with a high, forceful kick that alluded Massapequa keeper EmmaLee Meyer.
"This is a team that never gives up and is truly a team," said Grieco. "It is not about 10 kids, but 25 kids. When we huddle up, everyone is in that huddle together."
For most of the game, both teams played tight defense and goal scoring opportunities were few and far between for each squad. In fact, the best scoring chances in the contest prior to Kerrigan's game winner, were West Islip's two crossbar ringing shots in the second half of regulation.
While Grieco was not yet ready to look ahead to the state semi-final game Friday, he did reflect on the moment. "I'm just so proud of this team," he said. "All season we have stayed focused on taking in game by game and practice by practice. We continue to do all the little things, the intangibles when we play."
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