Gutierrez helps Sachem East clinch League I
Sachem East goalkeeper Alyssa Gutierrez dives to save a shot during her team's 4-0 win over Commack. (Oct. 25, 2010) Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Alyssa Gutierrez will have to find a new way to add up her shutouts this season because the very 10 fingers she uses to turn away shot after shot will no longer be sufficient.
The senior All-State keeper got her 11th shutout of the season as Sachem East defeated second-place Commack, 4-0, Monday to clinch the League I girls soccer championship.
Gutierrez has allowed just seven goals this season, three of which came from Commack earlier this month in Sachem East's (10-1) only league loss. Don't think for a second that defeat wasn't in the back of Gutierrez's mind as she held Commack (9-1-1) scoreless Monday.
"It felt great because they got those three goals on me last game," she said. "They had breakaways and good shots, so it felt really good to shut them out this time."
Gutierrez - who credited the team defense, namely Alyssa Picascio - made six saves, none better than her diving stop on a liner by Colleen Ekert late in the second half.
"When she needs to come up with those big saves, she can do it," Sachem East coach Ralph Forman said. "My feeling is she's still the best keeper in the state. For a team to have 11 shutouts in 13 wins, it's a credit to the defense, as well as her."
Haylee Molloy scored the game's first goal, the only goal Gutierrez would need, off a perfectly placed corner kick by Kristin Butzke 19:57 into the game.
Kelsey Ferguson, an all-state striker playing for the first time since Oct. 6 because of an ACL injury, sent a beautiful crossing pass to Brianna Phillips, who won a footrace with the defender, eluded a challenging keeper and tapped the ball in for a 2-0 lead with 9:38 left in the half.
"I got a great pass from Kelsey, I was wide open and I just had to hit it right past the goalie," Phillips said.
Commack keeper Jackie Birnbaum made two outstanding diving saves to open the second half but just missed a shot by Butzke, who intercepted an attempted clearing pass and scored from 30 yards 3:11 in for a 3-0 lead.
Morgan Tinari scored on a long looping drive with 13:30 remaining for the final goal, capping the team's second straight League title.
"This year it feels really good because we had an awful lot of injuries and the girls really pulled it together," Forman said. "They're wearing shirts that say, 'Step Up or Step Out,' and everybody has stepped it up."
