Kaitlyn Gerdes' goal lifts MacArthur over E. Meadow
MacArthur's Kaitlyn Gerdes, right, battles for position against East Meadow's Nicolette Wilson. (Sept. 27, 2010) Credit: Patrick E. McCarthy
It was an unhappy twist of fate for Kaitlyn Gerdes Monday. Less than 10 minutes after scoring in MacArthur's 1-0 win over East Meadow in girls soccer, Gerdes went from the front line to the sideline after twisting her left knee in an on-field collision.
She didn't return for the remainder of the game, though she is expected back for the team's next contest. "Hard tackle and she went down," coach Lauren Gotta said. "Pretty sure it was an even 50/50 ball and she just got the butt end of it."
Gerdes, a freshman, scored just her third varsity goal 10:43 into the first half off an assist from Amanda Cantos for MacArthur (5-0 Conference II).
"Katie's a fantastic player," Gotta said. "She's a freshman, she's fast, she doesn't give up. And she just fits in perfectly because every single one of these girls fight hard."
But Gerdes collided with a defender with 20:30 remaining in the first half, falling to the ground and remaining there for several minutes. She walked shakily off the field using Gotta and a trainer for support.
"I was kind of mad that I couldn't come back today, but I'm excited to play in the next game," said Gerdes, who sported an ice pack on her knee.
The scoring ended there, but the injuries kept coming.
Standout forward Jill Mulholland got knocked down on a breakaway just 3:06 later and sustained an injury to her lower left back. She returned to start the second half.
With 7:58 remaining in the first, Kelly Gerdes, Kaitlyn's sister, was in a collision of her own, though she was only out for a few minutes.
"The rain made it a very dirty game," Mulholland said. "It was back and forth, tackling, very hard."
Despite the losses, the MacArthur defense persevered.
"Every single one of them on the bench knows how to play," Gotta said. "They're just as good as the players on the field."
East Meadow (3-2-1, 2-0-1) remained mostly on its feet, and displayed the strong defense typical of the program. The Jets had scoring opportunities, especially at the end of the second half when rain began to drench the field and players.
"We just couldn't capitalize," coach Adam Hananel said. "We had chances. But sometimes it doesn't drop your way."
