Sports
Whitman Girls Soccer Season Ends With 2-0 Loss to North Babylon
Wildcats' play picked up offensively in the second half, but still couldn't find a way to score.
The Whitman girls season came to an end on Wednesday afternoon at North Babylon high school when they lost to the North Babylon Bulldogs 2-0 in a Class AA girls soccer quarterfinals playoff game. The Wildcats struggled in the first half before gaining some momentum in the second, but it wasn't enough to score as the Bulldogs cruised to victory.
The Heroes: Whitman's freshman goalie, Samantha Myers-Dineen, had Bulldog forwards in her face all game. She played a tough goal all game long and helped keep her team in the game until deep into the second period. She finished with 9 saves.
"North Babylon put pressure on us all game," Myers-Dineen said. "I just did the best I could to keep them out of goal."
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April Makely and captain Kelsey Filippone scored goals for North Babylon. Kelsey Brostek assisted on Makely's goal while Jessica Eifert assisted on Filippone's.
The Turning Point: Whitman seemed to be one big play away from tying the game, especially in the second half when it got some offensive attacks going and were more productive when possessing the ball. However, with 19 minutes left in the game, Filippone beat defenders after receiving the pass from Eifert and put the ball in the back of the net to put the Bulldogs up 2-0. Whitman didn't give up, as it continued to pressure the Bulldog defense, but it still couldn't find a way to put the ball in the net.
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Quote: "North Babylon did a great job today," Whitman coach Mike Moccia. "We had a great season and I think that it was just a matter of getting hot at the right time. We've got six of our starters returning next year and we're looking to stay competitive and be back here next year."
The Bottom Line: The Wildcats had an improbable season highlighted by their win over No.1 seed Sachem East on Saturday. With the majority of their starters returning next year, they could be a serious contender next year. They have a solid group of core players and a promising freshman goalie. Look for them to build upon what they achieved this season.
Key Stat: North Babylon out shot Walt Whitman 15-5.
Who's Next?: No one. Walt Whitman's season is over.
Girls Soccer: Suffolk Class AA Second Round
Teams..................1.....2 -- F
Walt Whitman....0.....0 -- 0
North Babylon....1.....1 -- 2
Goals – NB: Makely, Filippone
