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Light Rain Mepham sister act beats Baldwin
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Mepham's Sali Ayinde, left, and Baldwin's Olivia Antonopoulos battle for a loose ball.
Andrew Vardakis/Herald
With the aide of a heavy breeze at its back the Baldwin girls’ soccer team dominated the second half of its Nassau Class AA first-round playoff game with Mepham on Halloween morning. However, thanks to some staunch defensive play by Mepham and a clutch corner kick executed by twin sisters Sali and Safi Ayinde, the Lady Pirates advanced with a 1-0 road win.
Junior defender Sali Ayinde picked an opportune time for her first goal of the season as she scored off a corner kick from her sister Safi with 6:06 remaining to send 10th-seeded Mepham (6-6-1) into a quarterfinal round game at No. 2 East Meadow. Safi Ayinde is Mepham’s leading scorer with six goals and five assists.
“My little Ayinde girls, they are the best,” said Mepham coach Jim McManus of the two sisters teaming up for the winning goal. “They always come through.”
Baldwin (6-6-3) generated many scoring chances in the second half but was kept off the scoreboard by a stingy Mepham defense anchored by senior goalkeeper Sharon Aluma’s eight saves and a back line of eighth-grader Samantha Trupo, Ayinde and freshman Jessica Gelbwaks. “We preach defense big time and they come through,” McManus said.
Baldwin also featured strong play from its two keepers with Gina Passaretti making five saves in the first half and Amber Harrison posting three stops during second-half action. Senior Lady Bruins defenders Sami Caesar, Shakoya Smith, Charity Holt and freshman Jessica Mauradian clamped down to halt some big Mepham scoring chances in the first half. “They are tough girls and they played well all season,” Burton said of his defense.
Baldwin featured many young players in 2009 but loses two of its big scorers in seniors Olivia Antonopoulos (16 goals) and Regine Lazard (three goals and four assists). It will return junior N’Dea Johnson, who had five goals and three assists.
With Mepham being such a young team this year, McManus is thrilled with how the season has gone regardless of what happens at East Meadow. “I’m happy for these kids because they work so hard,” he said. “To win a playoff game is big.”
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