Ward Melville Girls' Soccer Falls in Long Island Championship Game

MacArthur High School head coach Lauren Gotta saw no reason to change her team's routine in advance of the Long Island championship Saturday.

"We just had our normal practices," said head coach Lauren Gotta. "We go with the flow. That's the way they've always been."

The Lady Generals had no reason to change their routine after outscoring opponents 12-0 en route to the Nassau County title. That domination carried through Saturday, as MacArthur prevented Ward Melville from getting a shot on goal in a 1-0 victory at Tully Field in New Hyde Park.

MacArthur set the tone of the game from the opening kickoff, which the Lady Generals took up the field. The possession ended with a through ball for an unmarked Kelly Kempf, but Kempf put the ball high.

The Lady Generals dominated possession throughout, but their first-half chances either sailed off target or floated to Ward Melville keeper Ally Ramos. They needed a moment of magic to pull ahead, and in the 59th minute, it came.

A hard tackle from a Ward Melville defender knocked the ball to MacArthur's Christina Cottone, who sent it to Jill Mulholland. Mulholland gathered, turned and fired a rocket from outside the 18-yard-box past Ramos at the 18:21 mark of the second half. The Lady Generals' defense made the lead stand up.

"We told the kids to make sure they win the 50/50 [balls]," said MacArthur head coach Lauren Gotta. "That way, we'll be able to keep the momentum on our side."

"We were on top of them the whole game," said Mulholland. "We knew it would eventually come."

Ward Melville's closest chance came in the 11th minute, when they won a corner off a counter attack. The kick floated in and met the head of a Ward Melville player, but sailed over the bar. The Patriots worked the ball into the lower third late in an effort to make a comeback, but they couldn't break through the MacArthur back line.

"They were the better team today," said Ward Melville head coach John Diehl. "We played a team that was very organized on defense. We couldn't crack them. They came to play. We tried our best."

Still, the Patriots held their head high after the game ended. They finished the season 15-2-2, won their first Suffolk County championship and appeared in their first Long Island title game.

"I'm proud of my girls," said Diehl. "They worked hard. They did everything they could all season. For Ward Melville soccer, we made it to a level we never did."

As for MacArthur, they face Section V champ Brockport at Cortland State University next Saturday. You can bet that they'll be approaching practices the same way they always do.

"Changing it up now would be useless," said Gotta. "This is what they're used to. Whatever works, works."

Box Score

Scoring Summary:

1st Half - No Scoring

2nd Half - MAC - Mulholland (Cottone), 18:21

Bookings:

66th minute - WM - Morra - Yellow Card