By Steve Siniski
After holding Cold Spring Harbor to just a single shot on net in a 4-0 win for the Nassau County title on Nov. 5, the Owls' defense again held strong in limiting Islip to just seven shots and a season-low score.
"This is amazing and so unbelievable," said Lynbrook coach Doreen Combs. "I'm just so proud of these girls. They played like a true team and it was a total team effort."
Lynbrook's game plan may have seemed simple on paper, but carrying it out on the field posed perhaps the defense's toughest test yet. The idea was to have Jillian Kotchek mark Islip's leading goal scorer, Melissa Gordon, who scored 16 times during the season, while Patricia Conneely was out to keep Islip's top playmaker, Susie Webber, in check.
Gordon tallied Islip's only goal, which came in a frantic game-ending barrage that cut Lynbrook's lead to 2-1. But the Owls' defense, which has been overshadowed by the team's high-powered offense, held its ground and kept the Buccaneers off the scoreboard during the final, hectic minutes.
"They came up so tough in those last five minutes but we stuck together," said Combs. "Luckily we came up big and kept our composure. We've proved that we have the best defense in the [Class] B's. Our outside marking backs and [Catherine] Wyndham can contain opponents and can even bring the ball through for us. She has such knowledge of the game."
Lynbrook opened the scoring on a goal by Conneely late in the first half that proved pivotal. "In a game so even, getting that first goal is important for the confidence of the team," said Combs.
The Owls' second goal came on one of the strangest plays of the game, as Lynbrook's leading scorer, Chelsea Feldman, was hit in the face with an Islip clearing attempt. Freshman Kathleen Kobbe was there for the rebound and put a beautiful shot into the top left corner of the net to extend Lynbrook's lead with just 11 minutes to play. The Buccaneers, who shut out 13 opponents and had allowed just six goals all season before playing Lynbrook, gave up more than one goal for just the second time all season. The Owls also ended Islip's run of four straight shutouts.
After defeating the best Suffolk County had to offer and a team that was a near mirror image of itself, Lynbrook will take on the two-time defending state champions, Aquinas, in the semifinals.
"This is a tough chore we've drawn," said Combs. "They match our style, but it seems that if they get pressured, they can get into a kick-and-run game. They have a few people that we have to mark, but we have to have our best game and continue to play every game like it's the finals."
