Casamassina scores hat trick for Smithtown Christian
Christina Casamassina, left, and Smithtown Christian's first loss of the season came in Class D state final against Chazy (Section VII). Credit: Richard Slattery, file
Stony Brook soccer fans got a glimpse of who will be coming to town next fall.
Smithtown Christian senior Christina Casamassina, who will be enrolling at Stony Brook University, showed little mercy on the town's local high school girls soccer team Friday.
It was performances such as her three-goal game in Friday's 4-0 League VIII win over Stony Brook that earned Casamassina, one of the most prolific goal scorers on Long Island, a scholarship to SBU.
Any remorse that her latest hat trick came at the expense of Stony Brook?
"No," Casamassina said, "it felt kind of good."
After Dominique Jack used some fancy footwork to elude the defender and score 4:28 into the game, Casamassina scored from 20 yards to give Smithtown Christian (8-0) a 2-0 lead.
Casamassina later found herself all alone in the middle of the box after a throw-in for an easy goal 6:51 into the second half for her sixth multigoal game of the season.
Her final goal, completing her third hat trick of the season, came with 16:38 remaining in the game after Casamassina dribbled down the center of the field, fired from just outside the box and slipped the ball inside the near post to provide the final margin in a statement game against the defending Class C state champions.
"We played harder out there than we have the whole year so far," Casamassina said. "I think because we knew it was going to be the biggest game of the year, so we gave it all we had."
Luckily for Stony Brook, they won't see Casamassina again until she is donning Seawolves red.
"Stony Brook is getting a great player," Smithtown Christian coach Steven Chandler said. "She has great field sense. She has great touch of the ball, great moves. I'm going to miss her. [Stony Brook women's soccer coach] Sue Ryan better take care of her."
Smithtown Christian freshman keeper Hannah Steffens had 16 saves, and some help from the crossbar after Michelle Hennessy's strike from 40 yards out drew metal with 14:45 left in the half, in her third shutout of the season.
A shorthanded Stony Brook (7-2) was so depleted by injuries that first-team all-state senior keeper Danielle Pappas, who had 18 saves, was removed from goal late in the second half and moved to striker for the first time in hope of providing some needed offense.
This was a key win for Smithtown Christian, which also is coming off a trip to the state tournament.
"We are playing well and getting stronger," Chandler said. "We want to get back to states again and this time, we want to take something back with us."
