By Tony Bellissimo
South Side scored three goals in the first 23 minutes - two of them off the foot of senior Stephanie Blair - and went on to defeat Islip 3-0 to capture its fifth consecutive Long Island crown. Senior goalkeeper Jessica Walsh made 10 saves in her fifth shutout of the playoffs as the Lady Cyclones upped their record to 16-2.
"The girls are hungry and dedicated and peaking at the right time," Coach Judi Croutier said. "They work well together, and hopefully they've got two more wins left in them."
South Side has won the last two state championships and 12 of the last 20. It faces Somers in a state semifinal on Friday at 9 a.m. at SUNY-Cortland. The winner of this game will play in the final on Saturday at 9 a.m.
Junior Alaina Beyar got things started against Islip when she converted a rebound into a goal at the 18-minute mark. Then Blair tallied twice over a five-minute span to put the Suffolk champs in a deep hole. "We knew they'd be out to avenge last year's [5-1] loss to us, and we talked about coming out strong," Croutier said.
Falling behind South Side by three goals is a recipe for disaster, since the team hasn't been scored upon in weeks. "We take pride in defense," Croutier said.
The back row is led by juniors Katie Starsia, Katie Norwood and Molly Bralower. They keep Walsh out of the line of fire most of the time, but when the three-year starting keeper is called upon, she always comes up big. Walsh totaled 10 saves in Nassau playoff wins over Roslyn, West Hempstead, Island Trees and New Hyde Park.
Freshman Crystal Dunn starred in the county championship game on Nov. 7, scoring three goals to pace the Lady Cyclones' 6-0 win over New Hyde Park. Beyar added a pair of goals and Blair had one. It was the team's 10th straight Nassau crown.
