Allie Dolder leads Bay Shore in Class A quarters
Bay Shore's Allie Dolder. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
The turning point for Bay Shore in yesterday's 3-1 Suffolk Class A quarterfinal field hockey win over Northport -- Allie Dolder's go-ahead goal midway through the second half -- perhaps represented a simultaneous turning point for the program, with paralleling points along the way.
Here's a breakdown . . .
The team: In recent years, the Marauders could be counted on to make the playoffs, but not much else. One-and-done was the norm.
This game: Bay Shore jumped out to an early lead, but lost it a minute later.
The team: Talent was there, but they never could close in the clutch.
This game: The Marauders controlled much of the action, but with the score tied, couldn't capitalize on eight penalty corners.
Then, the play: Dolder, about 10 feet left of the cage, received a pass across the goal from Killeen Martin and blasted it into the near corner with 16:44 left. The turning point / turn-around moment, as fourth-seeded Bay Shore beat No. 5 Northport.
"I know that we usually lose in the first round, so this was huge," Dolder, a sophomore, said. "This proved to us that we can do it."
Jacqueline Ulrich got the Marauders (13-4) on the board 4:55 in, scoring off a pass from Liz Athing. But Gabbi Labuskes tied it 1:14 later for Northport (8-8). The teams stalemated until Dolder scored. Kyra Harney had an insurance goal with 6:42 left.
Courtney Alberto made seven saves in the win, and Gabby Gallo had six for Northport.
The team "realized what was at stake," Athing said, "and we really stepped up late."
Bay Shore graduated its leading scorer of the previous two years, Sarah Fuchs, but the emergence of several youngsters more than offset that. They won nine games last season.
"I knew from the beginning this team could do well," Marauders coach Mary Drago said. "It was just a matter of when it would click."
They've been clicking during this six-game win streak, though the task becomes taller. Bay Shore will face No. 1 Sachem East at 2 p.m. Monday.
"We've made it to this point and we're gonna go far," Martin said, then shrugged. "Why not?"
