Calhoun upsets No. 1 Farmingdale

Calhoun’s Kristina Gandolfo might just be a goalie’s worst nightmare. The senior forward was already Nassau’s second-leading goal scorer going into Calhoun’s Class AA quarterfinal matchup against top-seeded Farmingdale Monday afternoon and she secured her spot with two more to bring her total to 21 on the season.

Gandolfo’s two goals and sophomore keeper Alissa Battaglia’s 15 saves secured the ninth-seeded Lady Colts’ 2-1 overtime win over Farmingdale and a spot in Friday’s semifinals against No. 4 Mepham, which beat No. 5 Oceanside, 1-0, on Tuesday.

Calhoun (15-0-2 overall) and Farmingdale came out of the gate with aggressive play in the middle of the field. Calhoun’s Jessica Foley and Kayla Cappuzzo kept the ball on the ground moving swiftly through the midfield into their own attacking third; Farmingdale’s Nadine Hadnagy thwarted many of the drives down the left side of the field. Both teams kept firing on goal but neither was able to find the back of the net as the first half ended scoreless.

The Dalers came out in the second half searching for a goal. In just four minutes of play Kim Kolodny broke behind Calhoun’s defense only to have Battaglia come off her line for a huge save. At the 33-minute mark, Gandolfo pulled a ball out of the air on the right flank and dribbled toward the center of the field. She broke behind the defense and drilled a shot into the far corner of the net to give Calhoun the 1-0 lead.

Coach Lori Biscardi said she has come to expect that from Gandolfo. “The girls look up to her,” Biscardi said. “She’s just so natural just receiving the ball and finding the back of the net, she does it every time for us.”

Farmingdale wasn’t easily rattled and continued to apply pressure. With just under 18 minutes left, Amanda Turturro dribbled around the 25-yard line and arced a shot into the net to tie the game at one apiece.