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Sports

Lady Trojans Defeat South Side

Caroline Beaty buries a shot from just outside the 18-yard box to give Garden City the 2-1 victory over South Side.

The Garden City bus rolled into the Skelos Field complex carrying the girls soccer team for a game against New York State defending champs, and unbeaten in their last 36 matches, South Side.

Not since Oct. 24, 2011 when the Lady Trojans defeated the perennial winner, had South Side lost a game. But by the identical 2-1 score Mike Heedles' Garden City girls stopped the high scoring Lady Cyclones.

The first half was played like a chess match with the Garden City defense countering any attack that the South Side girls could mount. Other than a Taylor Carpentier save of a high crossing shot about five minutes into the match, the Trojans may have had the best chance.

At halftime Coach Heedles implored his team to continue their high energy and match the hard play of South Side. And with 25 minutes left in the second half good things did happen for the Garden City girls as Caroline Beaty delivered a 30-yard free kick from near the right sideline that keeper Sarah McCarthy pushed off the cross bar. The ball rebounded back into play, right onto the head of Haley O'Hanlon who calmly headed the ball into the back of the net.

As the ball hit the twine the Garden City bench erupted as the Trojans took the 1-0 lead. As South Side pushed the attack the Garden City back line
held strong with Kerri DeFliese, Collette and Megan Seel providing the defensive stops time and again against Christina Klaum and the rest of the attacking Lady Cyclones.

With about 13 minutes remaining in the game South Side was able to get behind the defense and push one into the goal. As keeper Carpentier came out and made the initial stop the ball deflected out to an open Juliana Pelligini who put the ball past the recovering defense to tie the game at one.

The strong play of the midfield combination of Haley O'Hanlon, Catherine Galzerano, Catherine Malhame and Lauren Miesemer helped spark the Trojans back into the offensive half of the field.

With a little more than nine minutes remaining in the game Caroline Beaty made a run down the right sideline from her right back position. Getting into open space she received a pass from Sam Miesemer at the 18-yard box and Beaty lofted a ball towards the goal. And as any soccer coach knows, when you put the ball on goal only good things can happen. South Side keeper McCarthy went up for the ball but it barely stayed under the bar. She couldn't reach it and Garden City had the 2-1 lead.

The last nine minutes of the match were played in the midfield as South Side couldn't break down the Trojans' defense. Time and time again it was the Seel sisters, DeFliese, Galzerano or O'Hanlon making a toe poke or strong defensive play to keep the Cyclones at bay. When a shot did get through Carpentier collected them, nine on the game, and punted the ball back up field.

As the horn sounded the Garden City bench swarmed the field to congratulate the players for a hard fought victory. After the game Coach Heedles did try to bring the girls back to reality that this is only one match and there is still a lot of season left on the schedule. But he did say that it was nice to be 4-1-1 and now tied with South Side for the top spot in Conference A-1.

Next game is Thursday at Wantagh.

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