Leftovers: Class B LIC

Here are some of the quotes from today's Class B title game between Garden City and Hauppauge.

Hauppauge coach Abigail Zeltmann:

Thoughts on the game:

I’m proud of my girls I think we gave them a run for their money and I think that if we had a little bit more of a lineup and a little bit more of some girls that can ball I think we would’ve come out on the other end. I don’t think that they out-skilled us, I think they out-girled us. I had a lot of girls that put their heart on the field and they didn’t quit. I don’t care what the score says at the end of the day they’re champions.

They scored 5 of 6 first-half goals while a man up. We talked about how they capitalize on mistakes, was that the difference?

I don’t want to talk about Garden City. I think we came here to play our way regardless of who they are. You put them up on a pedestal and they’re the hunted and we’re the hunters. Everybody that I coach here came to play and I think we did a good job regardless of the score.

Teams get here and there's a feeling of a glass ceiling facing Garden City. What was your mindset heading in?

I fight. I can’t answer that question because I’m not one that puts Garden City on a pedestal. I don’t, I think every single team plays to play and plays to win and we played to win. We play every game to win regardless of who our competition is. I come to play, I coach to play and I coach to win and unfortunately this is the first time all year that we didn’t come out on the winning end.

What did you say during the timeout with six minutes left?

I said ‘I don’t care what the time is I don’t care what the score is you end strong.’ These girls have heart and I told them from the beginning it was going to take drive, determination and focus. Lay it on the field and I think that's what they did.

Hauppauge attack Jen Porretto:

Obviously not the result you wanted. How do you feel after this loss?

We came out hard with a two-goal lead and they just fired on us. They’re a powerhouse team. No one’s going to stop them – they’re unstoppable. Everyone else they blow out. At the end of the game it was 13-7 but that wasn’t how the game was played. We had our opportunities (and) we didn’t finish. They had all theirs and they capitalized on everything. That was the difference.

How important was it to play until the clock ran out, I know you went down in the final minute with a knee injury?

To play till the end, you know it’s over and you’ve got to move forward. Keep a positive attitude because not all teams in Suffolk county get here.

What do you take away from this season?

When you’re one of the top teams you’re going to have to face a loss somehow. I’d rather lose in a championship than in a game and have a 17-2 record than 19-1. I’d take a 19-1 record, undefeated (regular) season any day.