Lynbrook repeats as conference champs

There’s an adage in sports which states that beating an opponent three times in a single season is difficult. In the game of soccer, where scoring is scarce and an unlucky bounce can decide the outcome of a tight match, the saying is apropos.

Seventh-seeded Lynbrook entered its first round Class A playoff match with No. 10 Cold Spring Harbor as a decided favorite. The Lady Owls had just secured their second consecutive conference title, and had beaten the Seahawks twice during the regular season. But, the third time was the charm for the underdogs.

After two scoreless halves, and multiple overtime periods didn’t yield a goal, it was Cold Spring Harbor winning the battle of penalty kicks by a 3-1 margin. Sophia Taglich had nine saves to register her seventh shutout. Lynbrook’s senior keeper Michelle Catanno had six saves including a brilliant stop in sudden death overtime.

The Owls, who had a goal disallowed on an apparent handball, finished with an overall record of 10-2-1 (9-1 in Conference AB-II). Cold Spring Harbor (5-5-6) advanced to the second round where it will meet No. 2 Wantagh.

Lynbrook coach Jen Dankenbrink thought her team played well enough to win. “Cold Spring Harbor played a defensive style all game with five on its back line,” Dankenbrink said. “I thought we dominated play, and had some good opportunities to score. We just couldn’t find a way to put the ball in the net. We knew it was going to be a tough match for us. Both teams played like they wanted it badly.”

The Lady Owls played most of the year without Alexa Amato, who suffered a knee injury while burying a game-winning goal against Cold Spring Harbor in Lynbrook’s third game of the regular season. Amato earned All-Conference honors in 2014.

While the team dealt with the loss of Amato and a host of other injuries, numerous players stepped into advanced roles and got the job done. Sophomore Christine Molina scored a pair of goals after being called up from the junior varsity.

Senior Sydney Amato scored three goals and led the team with six assists. Catanno, a five-year starter in net for the Lady Owls, gave up more than one goal in just two games all season long. She stopped 21 shots in a 2-1 loss to North Shore. Both Sydney Amato and Catanno were All-County selections.

Senior Stephanie Matza (four goals, two assists), sophomore Gina Giovinco (three goals, three assists), and junior Erin Loonie, the team’s leading scorer with 13 points, each picked up All-Classification honors. Seniors Hailey Greif, Casey Curran, and Victoria Barra, along with junior Rachel Valentino, were each named All-Conference recipients. Camryn Gessner earned scholar-athlete designation.

“We have a lot of talent coming back, but this senior class will be missed a great deal,” Dankenbrink said. “They set the tone. The way they worked in practice and carried themselves you’d never know they were at the top of the conference. They were about as enjoyable to coach as it gets.”