Kaitlyn Shanahan's goal gives Sachem East four-peat
Sachem East's Kaitlyn Shanahan and Allie Laird celebrate the only goal of the game during the Suffolk Class A field hockey final on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014. Credit: Bob Sorensen
Kaitlyn Shanahan proudly pointed two fingers skyward. She wasn't flashing a peace sign. No, two is the number of times she has lost in her four years on Sachem East's field hockey team.
Determined to avoid a third loss, the senior midfielder scored in the Flaming Arrows' 1-0 win over Ward Melville in the Suffolk Class A title game Tuesday at Dowling.
No. 1 Sachem East (18-0) has won four straight county championships. The Flaming Arrows have grown accustomed to big wins, and after the final horn, it was as if they didn't realize what they had just accomplished.
"I think we're just taking it all in right now,'' Shanahan said. "It's going to hit us. It's going to be like, boom, oh my God.''
Coach Tina Moon said the pressure that comes with sustained success could have been overpowering. Katie Trombetta, Katie Doherty and Kyle Larkin, the team's undisputed leaders, graduated last year.
" never had to deal with the brunt of it, the pressure of it,'' Moon said. "We had other people on the team that led.''
But this bunch handled that pressure and defeated a tough Ward Melville team, the No. 2 seed that went 14-4 and was one of two teams to lose by one goal to Sachem East this year. The Patriots did it twice.
They gave up only one goal, despite allowing 14 penalty corners to Sachem East.
Shanahan inflicted the damage following a penalty corner 10:41 into the game. After the ball touched several sticks in the circle, it landed at Shanahan's feet in front of the cage. She put her head down and smacked a shot past Corrine Nocera, who made seven saves.
"It feels really good,'' Shanahan said. "The ball came in front of me and I put it in the net, but it could have been anybody.''
The Flaming Arrows will face Nassau A winner Massapequa on Sunday in the Long Island championship.
Rocky Point 3, Southampton 0:Jenna Sanossian scored twice and Kayly Bryan once for the Suffolk small schools title. Suffolk B champ Rocky Point (15-4) faces Garden City on Sunday for the Long Island championship. Suffolk C winner Southampton (9-7) plays Carle Place.
