Northport Tigers Lose Long Island Championship In Overtime
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The Northport Tigers and senior forward Juliana Conforti's season came to a heartbreaking end in the team's Class AA Long Island Championship loss. Long Islander News Photo/Archives
By Janee Law
jlaw@longislandergroup.com
The Northport Tigers’ undefeated season came to end on Saturday, when they fell in overtime to Massapequa in the Long Island Class AA championship game.
Northport junior defender Isabel Yeomans scored in the first half to give the Tigers an early lead that they maintained through most of the second half and into the final seconds of the game.
However, a questionable call, Northport coach Aija Gipp said, extended the game and led to a Massapequa free kick that the Chiefs converted to force overtime.
The first overtime period was scoreless, but the Chiefs scored in the second OT to take the, 2-1, lead, which they never gave up.
Northport senior goalkeeper Emma Havrilla made five saves in the loss.
To get to that point, the Tigers amassed an 18-0 record through both the regular season and on their way to their second Suffolk Class AA championship in two years. The Tigers scored nearly 100 goals this season and allowed just nine.
Gipp said the Tigers “played really well together and that’s what made them so strong.”
She added, “It wasn’t about one individual player, it’s how well the team played together, and it was the support they received from the players that weren’t in the game. It was a combination of everything, which made them very successful.”
On Nov. 1, in the top-seeded Tigers’ 3-0 win over Eastport-South Manor in the Suffolk championship, senior forward Emily Zeblisky scored twice and junior forward Olivia Carner scored once. Yeomans had four assists while sophomore midfielder and forward Dana Schoeps and senior forward Juliana Conforti each had one assist.
Havrilla made 13 saves for the Tigers 11th shutout of the season.
Looking ahead to next season, Gipp said the Tigers will have six starters to replace.
Graduating seniors include Conforti; Havrilla; Zeblisky; midfielder Isabelle Karman; forward and captain Victoria Colatosti; midfielder and captain Emily McNelis; forward Eilish Donnino; defender Erica Lynch; defender Lili Buscareno; and defender and captain Caeley Gruhn.
