South Side works OT for L.I. crown

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South Side senior Keri Cavallo has scored plenty of goals during a highly successful four-year high school varsity soccer career, but none compare to the one that deflected off her face and barely crossed the line last Saturday night.

Cavallo’s 46th career goal 4:10 into the third overtime gave the Lady Cyclones a 2-1 victory over Shoreham-Wading River in the Long Island Class A championship game at Dowling Sports Complex. The winner came off a scramble in the box following a corner kick off the foot of Tessa Considine.

“We were getting a bunch of corner kicks, and I knew we had to finish one of them,” Cavallo said. “I saw the ball coming towards me and I just wanted to get any body part I could on it. Anyone could’ve scored it. I just wanted to go to states so bad.”

The Yale University bound Cavallo, who was unable to compete in state tournaments won by South Side in 2011 and ’12 because of a commitment to play for her regional team in Florida, will be on the bus this Friday when the Lady Cyclones (14-3-1) head to Cortland. They’ll play in the semifinals on Saturday at 5 p.m. at Tompkins Community College against either Pittsford Mendon or Williamsville East, with the winner advancing to the title game on Sunday at noon.

“We’re super excited,” South Side coach Shannon McEntee said. “A lot of these girls have experienced states and won it once or twice. Having Keri up there with us this time makes it that much more special.”

Shoreham (18-1-1) delayed the celebration and nearly squashed it all together. The Suffolk Class A champs were outplayed most of the night and fell behind with 35:24 remaining when South Side sophomore Alex McNicholas, who scored the winner against Garden City in the Nassau Class A final, slid a rebound past Lady Wildcats goalkeeper Lydia Kessel (14 saves.)

The tally held up until Shoreham’s Emily Sopko tied in on a free kick from 35 yards out with only 1:44 remaining. “We like to make it interesting,” McEntee said.

Sopko almost struck again in the second OT on a similar chance, but sophomore keeper Kayla Klarides (nine saves) lunged and swatted the ball over the crossbar.

“I think we were still a little flustered early in overtime,” McEntee said.

The teams were less than six minutes away from going to penalty kicks. Cavallo said she wanted no part of a shootout.

“My heart skipped a beat,” Cavallo said. “Of all the games I’ve played, this one made me the happiest.”