Kennedy gritty in tight matches

If a few more bounces had gone its way in this season's early going, the Kennedy girls’ soccer team might well be sitting unbeaten through its first five games.

An even likelier scenario, though, would have seen the Cougars compiling four losses after winning at league foe Division in the opener. But for a gutsy second-half stand against rival Baldwin Sept. 13, this would have been the case for Kennedy (1-3-1 in Conference AAA/AA3).

Coming off a 3-2 loss at Carey in its second game Sept. 11, Kennedy – sporting just four returning starters from last year’s breakout 7-4-4 squad – sensed an early slide rearing its head as Baldwin held a 2-0 lead late. Junior Kristin Lichtenstein’s tally with 10 minutes left pared the Bruins’ lead to a goal as Kennedy’s defense, backed by first-year sophomore goalie Samantha Lapidus, kept Baldwin at bay.

With 52 seconds remaining, All-County center back Abigayle Finkelstein broke downfield on a feed from Cougars midfielder Lindsay Nashtatik and finished at the net with her second goal of the season, securing the tie, 2-2, for host Kennedy.

The Cougars’ staunch effort was no surprise to sixth-year coach Christine DeFillipo, whose club would see three of its first four games (all but the tie against Baldwin) decided by a single goal.

“We’ve talked in practice about how we really should have only one loss in those four games,” said DeFillipo, pointing to Kennedy’s two-goal comeback to even the score against Carey, only to see the first-place Seahawks retort with 27 seconds left to ice the contest.

“Losing like that is hard,” DeFillipo said. “To then come back again, like we did the next game against Baldwin, and not let it get away, shows they wouldn’t let a loss define them. They went back to the drawing board, maintaining a strong mindset and a lot of positivity.”

Kennedy, thus far, has hardly had occasion to feel much negativity toward its defense, in particular. Led by Finkelstein and fellow senior Jolie Yablon, a fourth-year varsity outside back, Cougars defenders have conceded 10 goals in five games, ranking fourth in the conference in goals allowed average.

“[Defensive success] starts with Abby and Jolie, our senior veterans in the back” DeFillipo said. “They’re vocal but they always stay positive, and the girls will listen to them.”

All-Conference forward Hailie Siegler shares the team goal lead with Finkelstein (2), her first of the season the difference-maker for Kennedy against Division, while Nashtatik and forward Alanna Schechtman have a pair of assists apiece.

With Kennedy breaking in first-year starters in both the backfield and on its attack, DeFillipo stressed senior midfielders Elizabeth Kamelhar and Ellie Gelman have been linchpins in terms of operation. “They’re both huge for us,” DeFillipo said. “Everything goes through the middle and they’ve controlled that for us. Hugely important.”

“Last year we had 12 seniors, this year we have four,” added DeFillipo, whose club meets Division and Roslyn this week before its rematch with Carey Sept. 30 . “But it’s hard to compare. We’re younger, but I think these girls are showing they can’t be overlooked. The way they’ve fought has shown that.”