VSN ousted in third OT

The way Valley Stream North junior goalkeeper Kelly Kroez was playing in last Friday’s Nassau Class A girls’ soccer first-round playoff game at North Shore, coach Geoff O’Connell said he was optimistic good things would happen if the Lady Spartans extended the match to penalty kicks.

“It was definitely her best game,” O’Connell said of Kroez, who made a career-high 24 saves, including a handful in overtime. “Her confidence level was so high. I thought if we got to penalty kicks, she’d make a big save or two and give us a good chance to win.”

North Shore didn’t let it get that far. After the conference rivals battled to a draw through 80 minutes of regulation and 20 minutes of overtime, the Lady Vikings won it, 2-1, 1:35 into the first golden goal OT period on a tally by Mia Papiro off a scramble in the box. 

“It was one of those plays where we got a foot on the ball and they got a foot on the ball,” O’Connell said. “We just couldn’t clear it.

“We didn’t have as many chances as they did, but we had our share,” he added. “As OT kept going, I was starting to compile our list of shooters for penalty kicks. Those five-minute golden goal OTs usually fly by. It was a great game but an unfortunate ending.”

Eighth-seeded North Shore, which swept the Lady Spartans during the regular season including a 7-1 victory in the finale three days before the playoffs, advanced to meet top-seeded Garden City in the quarterfinals. No. 8 Valley Stream North finished 6-8-1 overall.

“I don’t know if the previous game gave them a false sense of security, but our girls started strong,” said O’Connell, who credited senior Sabrina D’Aulisa in leading a defense that included juniors Gianna Filippi, Lisa LoSchiavo and Taylor Carney. 

The Lady Spartans took a 1-0 lead in the 18th minute when junior Yamilee Eveillard, the Conference AB-II Player of the Year, scored her team-high 16th goal of the campaign. “She really came into her own this season,” O’Connell said. “A lot of teams put a lot of pressure on her, but on a big field it’s so tough to shut her down. She has the ability to create a lot of space for herself, and she has excellent skills.”

North Shore pulled even late in the first half on a goal by Izzy Glennon. “When you play a team a third time there are no surprises,” O’Connell said. 

The Lady Spartans won three straight prior to the regular-season finale. They avenged an earlier loss to New Hyde Park, winning 5-2 on Oct. 8 behind a pair of Eveillard goals and a goal an assist from sophomore Brianna Williams. Eveillard scored twice and junior Ashlie Rodriguez chipped in a goal and an assist in a 4-1 victory over Kennedy on Oct. 14, and freshman Courtney Taylor’s goal sparked a 3-1 win over Cold Spring Harbor two days later.

“The season is always about when you hit your stride, and we peaked at the right time,” O’Connell said.