MacArthur seeks strong finish

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In wake of an unbeaten 2017 regular season that ended in playoff heartbreak, MacArthur girls’ soccer is focused on a deeper run this fall. MacArthur returned 10 of 11 starters off last year’s team that got off to a 12-0-3 start before falling to South Side 2-1 in the Class A quarterfinals. Back-to-back league losses put the Lady Generals at 3-3-1 in Conference A-II heading into the home stretch of this season as they look for a big finish to claim a favorable playoff seed. “Expectations are high that we can compete for a conference championship and a county title,” MacArthur third-year coach Jamie San Filippo said. While MacArthur brought back the bulk of its starting lineup, six seniors graduated who had provided instrumental leadership on and off the field. Tri-captains Sara Marcano, Mary-Kate Sweeney and Kara DeBlaiso are now leading MacArthur’s march toward seeking another chance at postseason success. “They are trying to overcome the loss of the great seniors we had last year and their leadership,” San Filippo said. “They have brought a lot of stability.” DeBlaiso anchors MacArthur’s offense with a team-leading 12 goals so far this season. The senior striker was an All-State candidate last year when she chipped in 19 goals and 27 points. “One of her goals this year is to be an All-State player,” San Filippo said of DeBlaiso. “She has something to prove this year.” The Generals have plenty of other scoring weapons to complement DeBlaiso including sophomore striker Skyla Looney and freshman forward Olivia Esposito. Sophomore midfielder Isabella Molina has also made strides and scored a goal in a 2-1 loss at Cold Spring Harbor on Oct. 2. “We have players who can play multiple positions,” San Filippo said. “We can also go out of multiple formations.” MacArthur boasts a solid defense that came into the week surrendering just five goals in their last six games. The backline features sophomores Alyssa Accordino and Tara Sweeney along with junior twin sisters Alex and Samantha Elezi. “That is the heart of our team,” San Filippo said of his defensive unit. “There is so much good leadership back there.” Sophomore goalkeeper Shannon Kilian has been a major component of MacArthur’s stout defensive play with four shutouts on the season so far. She posted eight saves in a 2-1 loss Oct. 4 to unbeaten Mepham. “She is really our backbone back there,” San Filippo said of Kilian.