Alyssa Gangi of Baldwin and Claire Brady of Center Moriches star in Exceptional Senior games
Nassau County's Alyssa Gangi traps the ball against Suffolk County. (Nov. 29, 2013) Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Bunch of show-offs!
Paige Bly of Kings Park showed off her touch.
Nina Boria of West Hempstead showed off her speed.
Casey Fackner of Babylon showed off her versatility.
Michele Lammers of Port Washington showed off her reflexes.
Natalie Ballato of Longwood showed off her possession skills.
The list could go on and on, but we'll end it here: Alyssa Gangi of Baldwin and Claire Brady of Center Moriches each showed off their right foot.
Some of Long Island's girls soccer players had one final opportunity to showcase their skills Friday night during the Exceptional Senior games at Bethpage High School. Gangi showed off that right foot for two dozen or so college coaches in attendance by scoring the winning goal in the first game, giving Nassau a 2-1 victory over Suffolk. Brady did the same in the second game, scoring the winner to lift Suffolk to a 2-1 win.
During a scramble off a corner kick, the ball deflected to Gangi, who fired a low shot inside the near post with 4:42 remaining. "My right foot is my strong point," she said, "especially on corners and free kicks."
Gangi set up the tying goal by serving a perfect corner. West Hempstead's Jessica Perciballi then fired a cross to Boria, who knocked it in to tie it at 1 in the fourth minute.
Lammers made a beautiful save on a flick off a corner kick to keep the score tied three minutes into the second half.
Kelly Minicozzi of Patchogue-Medford knocked in a loose ball on a corner kick just 2:30 into the game to give Suffolk a 1-0 lead.
Brady scored both goals for Suffolk in the second game, including the go-ahead goal off a through ball from Jennifer Fenwick of Whitman to give Suffolk a 2-1 lead with 8:58 remaining.
She headed in the tying goal off a cross into the box with 2:31 remaining in the half.
"It feels really good to play well in the last game of my senior year," Brady said.
Hannah Steffens of Smithtown Christian made some beautiful late saves, including a diving stop following a corner kick with 11:30 left.
Courtney Locurcio of Hicksville dribbled into the box and scored from 15 yards out to give Nassau a 1-0 lead in the 14th minute.
The Exceptional Senior games, in its second year, was sponsored by the Cosmos. After play last year, several participants garnered college offers.
"We're trying to get the players to be seen by college coaches," said West Hempstead coach Mike Scaturro, who helped organize the event. "It gives them one last chance to play as seniors."
And one last chance to show off.
