Despite facing a number of mid-season injuries, Freeport entered the last week of the regular season still alive for the lone playoff spot in Conference A-II girls’ soccer.
Freeport (7-3) was down to just 13 players for a two-week stretch of games in which the Lady Red Devils suffered two late-September losses to Oceanside and Plainview-JFK. The team fought through the adversity though to win four straight games and enter the final week of the season mathematically alive for the postseason.
“There were certainly no complaints about playing time,” first-year head coach Chris Doherty joked about his thin bench earlier in the season. “It was tough but in some ways made us better because it taught some of the players to play other positions.”
The balloon officially popped for Freeport’s slim postseason hopes after a 2-0 setback at unbeaten Oceanside on Monday. The Red Devils gave up two first half goals and were kept in the game thanks to a 16-save performance by goalkeeper Tyler Hawkins.
Freeport was positioned for a late push at the lone playoff spot in Conference AA-II in large part to a stout defense anchored by Hawkins, who has recorded six shutouts. When not factoring in the two losses while playing shorthanded, Freeport surrendered just one goal entering the final week of regular season play. Hawkins’ strong play in net has been aided by defenders Hayley Matthews and Darelyn Lewis who stepped up to anchor the backline amid the team’s injury woes.