Soccer: Senior Goal Ends Garden City's Long Drought

The ball found the back of the net as the first half clock hit zero.

Garden City defeated top-seeded South Side, 1-0, on Friday at Farmingdale State College to claim the Nassau Class AA girls soccer championship. The result marked the first title for the Trojans in four years. South Side had won the previous two of the three prior matchups between the teams, with all those games decided by a single goal. The Cyclones, who finished the regular season with a 13-2 record, had allowed only one goal all year. Garden City, ranked second with an 11-2-4 record, broke that defensive record in the final minutes of the opening period.

Sophomore Emily Bennett launched a long pass toward Anna Olcott. The senior midfielder used her left foot to thread the ball between two South Side defenders. Sienna Castellano, the team captain, met the pass with a one-time strike that flew into the bottom-right corner. Goalkeeper Valentina Marquardt dove but could not reach the shot. Castellano raised her arms as her teammates rushed to embrace her.

Castellano described the moment as a necessity for her final season. “I saw the ball coming from Anna, and I knew I had to one-time it because someone was coming at me,” she said. The team viewed the match as a chance to end a streak of upsets. “Last year, it was a heartbreak, so I knew us captains, we had to come out strong our senior year,” Castellano said. She noted that most of the roster played soccer throughout their lives and she does not plan to continue the sport in college. “I don’t want to lose this sport yet,” she added.

Garden City’s defense held firm for the remainder of the match. Madeleine Patrickakos anchored the back line, while Amelia Scianablo and Alison Bennett limited South Side’s attacking options. Patrickakos said the team focused on possession and keeping the ball out of their own half during the second half. South Side coach Judi Croutier acknowledged her team had the wind advantage in the second period but lacked finishing power. “We had the wind in the second half, so we had some opportunities. We just didn’t finish,” she said. With three minutes remaining, goalkeeper Shannon Walsh sprinted out to clear a potential scoring threat.

The victory extends the tenure of head coach Scott McAuley. In his third season as head coach and his 25th year on the varsity staff, McAuley will retire from teaching and coaching after the season concludes. He will remain for at least one more contest. Garden City will face the winner of the Northport and West Islip match for the Long Island Class AA championship. The state subregional game is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday at Farmingdale State College. “I’m extremely grateful,” McAuley said. “I inherited fantastic kids. They’re great and they’re so dedicated.”