Overtime goal gives Trojans girls soccer crown

CORTLAND - A champion has bloomed from Garden City.

Erin Greiner scored with 1:26 remaining in the second overtime to lead Garden City to a 2-1 win over Rye in the state Class A girls soccer championship game at SUNY-Cortland Saturday.

"I was just like, I had to get it in," Greiner said. "It bounced right in the box and I just kicked it. It hit off one of the other players and went right into the corner."

This is the first state title for the Trojans' girls soccer program, capping a season of rare victories for Garden City, which won its first county title since 2001 and took home its first Long Island crown since 1996 - both coming when the program was in Class B.

"Nineteen-ninety-six was the last time Garden City girls soccer was [at states]," coach Mike Heedles said. "I was getting text messages from old principals and friends saying, 'Get it done, get it done. This is your time.' We kept selling the girls on, 'We have some work to do and we can make history.' They bit into it and here they are, in the second overtime, taking care of business."

Rye's Maddy Chabot scored directly off her corner kick after curving a shot that took one bounce and landed in the net 4:12 into the game to give the Garnets a 1-0 lead.

But the Trojans' Barbara Sullivan tied it just over ten minutes later off a deflection that she put in the corner of the net.

SEE PHOTOSGarden City 2, Rye 1

Garden City's Courtney Studdert was robbed of the go-ahead goal with just under 29 minutes remaining when Rye keeper Tatiana Saunders made a full-extension diving stop on Studdert's header.

With regulation winding down and the teams seemingly evenly matched, talk began to shift to the possibility of "co-champions." If the teams are tied after both overtime periods in a state final, the game does not go to kicks and the teams are each declared champions.

Regulation finished without a victor. Then one 10-minute overtime period came and went. Heading into the final few minutes of the second and final overtime, neither team appeared to have an edge. Each side had a few good shots on goal and each keeper made game-saving catches or deflections.

But then Greiner scored from a scrum in front of the net, leaving Sullivan speechless.

"It's unbelievable," Sullivan said. "I've won state championships in lacrosse but that's expected. This isn't expected.

"I was standing next to [Greiner] and I just froze. There was no emotion. I was just like, 'Oh my God, we are about to win a state championship in soccer.' "

But before the title could be realized, the Trojans had to sit through what must have been the longest 90 seconds of their lives.

During state championship games, the field clock is stopped at two minutes, and the official time is kept on the field by the referees.

"It felt like a lifetime," Greiner said. "I didn't know what to do. But it was just so amazing."

Said Heedles: "I had my clock going, I'm looking and looking, saying, 'Mr. Official please give us a look at your watch.' It's unfortunate somebody has to lose, but I'm just glad it wasn't us."

The Trojans played valiant defense, not knowing whether there was 10 seconds or 70 seconds remaining before they could celebrate. But then the ref's whistle sounded twice and the Garden City bench exploded onto the field.

"It's amazing, our team wanted it so bad," Greiner said. "We have this bond, we just all love each other and it feels so good. We've never won states before and it just feels so great."

Full bloom in Garden City.