Thursday, October 1, 2026
After a 10-win season and capturing the Nassau Class AA championship, the South Side girls soccer team’s season ended last Saturday with a 3-0 loss against West Islip in the Long Island Class AA title game at Walt Whitman High School.
Three seniors helped the Lions punched their ticket to the New York State Final Four as Leah Tomeo, Alexandra Livingston and Francesca Tofano had the goals.
“I think it was a tremendous game, we really took control of the game and put a lot of pressure on them when it was all said and done,” West Islip coach Ed Jablonski said. “They’re a tremendous team that we were able to shut down and find the back of the net. Their goalie stood on her head for so much of that game and she really played a tremendous game, as did they all. I’m so proud of what the girls were able to do and defend their Long Island championship.”
Despite the loss, goalkeeper Abby Gruner kept the Cyclones in the game. In the first few minutes, West Islip swarmed South Side in the box, but Gruner was able to put together two key saves that would prevent the Lions from getting on the board. She finished with seven saves.
“She’s always strong in the goal,” South Side coach Judi Croutier said of Gruner. “Just her presence on the field, she leads the team.”
Tomeo opened the scoring with a shot that passed the outstretched reach of Gruner and then Ava Bianca found Livingston on a crossing pass, which Livingston buried with a header for a 2-0 lead. A goal that was described as “the biggest goal of the season” by Jablonski. The Lions slammed the door shut on feed from Leah Tussie to Tofano later in the 64th minute.
West Islip’s goalkeeper in Jillian Olfano picked up right where she left off in the regular season and Suffolk County finals win over Harborfields with a shutout in the victory. For a team that allowed just five goals all season, Jablonksi credited Olfano as a huge contributor for that.
“She gutted out everything,” Jablonski said. “She went out there and anything that was near her, she controlled.”
South Side grinded this game out until the final buzzer.
“I’m proud of the girls,” Croutier said. “They played hard all year. They worked through injuries and we won the counties and here it just wasn’t the outcome we wanted.”
Croutier will be without standouts Julie Faranda, Brooke Doreste, Maddie Woo, Gruner, Sophia Anisansel and Molly Barry in 2026, but will be returning a “great core.”
“We’re going to celebrate our seniors first,” Croutier said regarding what’s next for the Cyclones. “They’re [the seniors] just part of a great team and we’re proud of all the hard work they did,”
