Baldwin captures coveted crown

Lady Bruins top Massapequa in OT

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Transforming from a non-playoff team, to postseason participant, to Nassau Class A runner-up over a three-year span, there was only one more step for Baldwin’s field hockey program to take in 2016.

Though it needed some overtime on Nov. 2, the Lady Bruins completed their progression to the top with a thrilling 1-0 victory over Massapequa in the county championship game at Adelphi University. Senior Kelsi King assisted on junior Daniella Specht’s goal 59 seconds into the second OT period to give Baldwin its first county title since 1998.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” King said. “It means so much to everyone on our team and to the entire town. We came into the season with one goal in mind and to accomplish it is a huge adrenaline rush.”

Massapequa defeated Baldwin, 2-1, in last year’s final for its seventh consecutive county championship. The Lady Bruins have been on a mission to end that streak and earn their own banner ever since, coach Mike Hoover said.

“We returned a lot of starters from last year’s team and many of the girls worked three years to get to this point,” Hoover said. “It’s pretty emotional. To watch them mob each other after the winning goal was awesome."

Senior Nadia Elcock, who led Baldwin’s pressure all night and nearly ended the game twice in the first 10-minute overtime, ignited the winning play. She carried the ball into Massapequa’s zone and sent a pass to King, who said she knew exactly where to find Specht. “I knew if I got the ball to Daniella, she was going to score,” King said.

The teams split regular-season meetings. Baldwin won at home, 2-1, on Sept. 17, but lost 5-0 at Massapequa nine days later. After the lopsided defeat, Hoover said the Lady Bruins needed to gain more experience on turf if they wanted to go all the way.

“I knew we had to fix some things and get on the turf as much as we could,” he said. “We set up a bunch of scrimmages and practices, and tonight we looked much faster and better than ever on turf.”

Working behind a defense led by King, fellow senior Kelly Brady and junior Elizabeth Madison, junior goalie Kailey Brower made 10 saves. “She’s always in the right position and anticipates well,” Hoover said of Brower.

Massapequa goalie Kaley Theodorous made a dozen saves, including a handful on breakaways. “She stonewalled us a few times,” Hoover said. “Our girls just kept at it. They were determined to end it in overtime and not go to a shootout.”