The Seaford girls’ soccer team has a unique opportunity to make history this fall after moving to Nassau Class B.
A drop in enrollment precipitated the Vikings’ move to a smaller seven-team league after conquering a challenging Conference A2 schedule last season. Seaford is thriving with the change thus far with a 10-0-1 record entering the final week of the regular season, which positions the Vikings square in the mix for the programs’ first county title and more.
“The odds are a little bit more in our favor to go on a run and potentially win a county championship,” said eighth-year Seaford coach Ken Botti. “We have to be the best out of seven and we have to win two playoff games to win the counties so the opportunity in front of us is tremendous.”
The Vikings had had an explosive offense this season led by freshmen strikers Kaylie Conklin and Ryleigh Nocera. Freshman center midfielder Ally Cullingford has also been a central part of the offensive attack near the net who earned varsity experience as an eighth grader.
“She does a tremendous job orchestrating the offense,’ Botti said of Cullingford, who tallied two goals and an assist in Seaford’s 5-0 win against Locust Valley on Oct. 3.
In a 2-0 win at Cold Spring Harbor Oct. 6 that clinched the conference title, Seaford broke through for two second-half goals — one each from Sophia Santella and Linda Donoavan after a scoreless first half. Sophomore goalkeeper Joanna Bello stepped up large with 10 saves.
The Seaford defense has shined this season with seven shutouts led by junior center back Arianna Garcia along with marking backs Amanda Ettinger (senior) and Amanda Williamson (junior). The three experienced upperclassmen have provided stout defensive play in front of Bello, a first-year starter who registered six saves to help preserve a 0-0 tie with defending Long Island Class B champion Wheatley on Oct. 1 that kept Seaford’s unbeaten start to the season intact.
Garcia, Ettinger and Williamson also serve an important leadership role as tri-captains.
“My captains are quasi assistant coaches because in Seaford we don’t have assistant coaches so I rely on those captains for a lot,” Botti said. “They are really the pulse of the team and help me out in all facets.”
Seaford closes the regular season with home matches Wednesday evening against West Hempstead at 6:30 p.m. and late Friday afternoon versus Plainedge at 4:30 p.m. before gearing up for the four-team Class B Nassau County playoffs. With just two wins needed for a county title Botti hopes the postseason stretches into November culminating in multiple trophies.
“We talked about it all throughout the summer and we still talk about it as the season winds down and what kind of opportunity we have in front of us,” Botti said. “When we talked about goals at the beginning of the season we talked about having a real real opportunity to win a championship.”
