By Angela Marshall
The unexpected interviews were just the start of a seven-day odyssey for the 15-and-16-year-old Long Island soccer players.
Organizers of the Aberdeen International Football Festival in Scotland wanted to comfort people affected by the Sept. 11 World Trade Center attacks and invited one New York team all expenses paid to participate in their tournament.
While no one on the team lost a family member, each was affected by the tragedy and many knew someone who had perished, escaped or helped in the recovery efforts.
The team was untouchable as they moved from game to game without a goal scored against them.
It was an awesome experience, said Alana O'Connor of Lido Beach. She scored eight goals during the course of the tournament, five during the Selects' 10-0 routing of the Norway team.
The early wins may have come easy, but the players knew the best teams lay ahead and they took nothing for granted.
Each girl wears a United States flag on her uniform in memory of those who died on Sept. 11. Whenever they would get into a tough spot, they would touch the flags and remember who they were there playing for. It was all the help they needed. They beat their host team, Aberdeen, 1-0 in the finals, capturing the Lord Provost Cup.
A key defense player, Kaitlin McTague of Rockville Centre, often thought of her former trainer, Steve Tighe, and all the lessons he taught her. He was killed in the World Trade Center attacks. He was a wonderful man. I still can't believe he's gone, she said.
Tighe was also on the mind of another Select player, Suzanne Lynch of Rockville Centre, who called him a trainer and a friend.
McTague and Lynch both attend Sacred Heart Academy.
The trip wasn't all soccer or football as it is called in Scotland. The team spent time touring castles and other historic sights. We always had something to do, said Lynch.
Carrie Gurowitz of Valley Stream was impressed by how friendly everyone was. When they girls were playing in the finals, the American team drew a huge crowd of cheering fans, some from the teams they had beaten earlier in the week. All the teams stayed in dorms on the Aberdeen campus, giving the different players plenty of time to bond.
Alana said the tremendous amount of support the girls received made the trip to Scotland a truly incredible experience.
Pictured, sitting from left, are Carrie Gurowitz of Valley Stream, Kerri Ann Koegel of Merrick, Stephanie Giarrusso of Malverne and Alana O'Connor of Lido Beach; kneeling from left, Meghan Labiak, Megan Hillin, Kate Farmer, Cristin Tenety, Lauren Morea, Meghan Garrity and Michelle Vernet; standing from left, Jessica LaSota, Marisa Maltese, Jessy DeLuca, Suzanne Lynch of Rockville Centre, team administrator Vincent O'Connor, head coach Ernesto Phan, league technical director William Yost, Kaitlin McTague of Rockville Centre, Cassandra Vogel and Jenna Ament.
