MacArthur advances to title game

At .500 through seven games (3-3-1) and coming off a second straight loss, MacArthur’s girls’ soccer players had a sit-down meeting to discuss things they needed to improve to fulfill their potential.

Since then, the Lady Generals have let their play do all the talking.

Last Sunday afternoon, junior Kara DeBlasio scored twice, giving her 21 on the year, and junior goalkeeper Shannon Kilian stopped all seven shots she faced as No. 8 MacArthur defeated fifth-seeded Manhasset, 2-0, at Cold Spring Harbor to advance to the Nassau Class A championship game. It was the eighth straight victory for the Lady Generals, who advanced

to meet No. 18 Valley Stream South for the crown.

“The girls took that meeting as a bonding moment,” MacArthur coach Jamie San Filippo said. “They started playing more as a team and we’ve only allowed two goals in the last eight games.”

Kilian has played lights-out since early October, the coach said, with seniors Alex and Samantha Elezi, juniors Tara Sweeney and Amanda Cannella, and sophomore Alyssa Accordino logging the majority of minutes in the defensive zone.

“Our defense has been tremendous lately,” San Filippo said.

DeBlasio’s first goal in the semifinals came off a corner kick, assisted by Cannella, in the 5th minute and allowed the Lady Generals to relax, San Filippo said. The insurance goal came with three minutes remaining, assisted by sophomore Gracelyn Brown.

“It was a special night,” San Filippo said. “Manhasset was extremely fast, but we battled.”

Cannella scored MacArthur’s biggest goal in years Oct. 25 when she scored from about 40 yards out with 17 seconds remaining in double overtime to stun top-seeded Calhoun, 2-1, in the quarterfinals. Junior Skyla Looney set up DeBlasio for the first goal early in the first half, and Calhoun’s Brittany Munson answered.

“We were confident going into the Calhoun game,” San Filippo said. “Last year we lost 2-1 to second-seeded South Side in the playoffs. I think that had a lot to do with the confidence level our girls brought to this year’s Calhoun game.”

The Lady Generals’ playoff run started with a 1-0 victory over Plainedge under the lights on Oct. 22. Looney set up DeBlasio with 13 minutes in regulation to win it. Kilian made seven saves.

“It was a tough matchup because we just played Plainedge four days earlier and beat them 4-0,” San Filippo said. “It was also the third time we faced them, so we expected a battle.”

Senior Sara Marcano had two goals and an assist in MacArthur’s win over Plainedge in the regular-season finale.

Standing in the way of the Lady Generals’ first county title since 2011, when they captured the state championship, is undefeated Valley Stream South. The Lady Falcons have beaten the No. 2, 7 and 3 seeds on the way to the finals.

“To see the eighth seed as the home team in the finals is crazy,” San Filippo said.