Madison Micheletti helps power Islip girls past Harborfields
Islip's Madison Micheletti controls the ball against Harborfields' Petra Brown during a Suffolk girls soccer game on Wednesday. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Madison Micheletti saw the opportunity to make a play for her team and was ready to put her body on the line for it.
The junior midfielder on the Islip girls soccer team saw the Harborfields goalkeeper attempting a clear, and Micheletti jumped in front in hopes to keep the ball in the offensive attack.
Micheletti blocked the clear, and Rosa Bono found Olivia Piazzolla for the goal less than 90 seconds into the game in Islip’s 2-1 victory over host Harborfields in Suffolk League VI girls soccer action Wednesday.
"I saw her about to kick it, and I knew I was close enough to get there," Micheletti said. "I was hoping for a goal, but I was able to get there and Olivia was able to finish it for us."
"Maybe it was a lucky bounce, maybe it was the right run," coach Mike Reilly said. "Whatever it was, we’ll take it."
Micheletti added Islip’s second goal on a penalty kick with 27:06 remaining in the opening half.
"She’s just a kid that can play," Reilly said. "If there were eight days in a week, she’d play eight days a week for as much as she can. She’s just the most composed player out there and she leads by example."
Harborfields’ Melissa Neder scored a breakaway goal off a steal to cut Islip’s lead to 2-1 with 12:07 remaining in the first half.
But the Islip backline didn’t allow many chances for Harborfields (0-1) from there. The defense of Grace Rao, Mackenna Eastwood, Brielle Zink and Sadie Wimmers, along with four saves from Kaeli McAnally, helped preserve the win for Islip (2-0).
After months of unknowns, Islip was just thrilled to return to competition.
"We’ve been waiting a while to get back on the field," Piazzolla said. "It was just good to get out here and play. We are all happy and pumped. It’s just good to be back and excited and in it again."
Reilly said he’s proud of how the team remained focused on the goals of being ready for if — and when — a season started.
"They inspire me for everything they’ve had to go through and I think they’ve had to go through probably more than most have," Reilly said. "So to be back here, it’s an honor and a privilege and something we are going to take advantage of."
