Yoo's header gives Garden City girls Class A title
Garden City's Jill Yoo is carried on team's shoulders in Garden City's 1-0 win over South Side. (Nov. 10, 2010) Credit: Patrick E. McCarthy
It was one of those moments Julie Yoo dreamed of. One of those moments where you're in the right place at the right time and are able to deliver.
And it was with just a moment left in the first half - two seconds to be exact - that Yoo came through, heading in the only goal of No. 6 Garden City's 1-0 win over No. 1 South Side in the Nassau Class A girls soccer final at Denton Avenue Field in New Hyde Park. This is the Trojans' first title since 2001, when they were in Class B. The Trojans' win also ends a string of 13 consecutive titles for South Side.
Garden City (17-2-2) will face Sayville in the Long Island championship / Southeast Regional final at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday at Dowling Sports Complex.
"We definitely felt we had to prove ourselves," Yoo said. "To South Side, to everybody, that we're the team to go far this year."
Taken in the context of a fall season full of upsets, perhaps the outcome wasn't too surprising, even if it came against the defending state Class A champ. And given the skill with which Garden City executes throw-ins, perhaps the method of scoring wasn't totally out of the blue either.
"That throw-in was lethal for us all year," coach Mike Heedles said. "We scored a ton of goals off it. The girls learned how to anticipate it bouncing off somebody else and deflecting it on."
With less than 30 seconds left in the first half, South Side (15-2-2) kicked the ball out of bounds and Barbara Sullivan ran to retrieve it for the Trojans. But Sullivan took her time finding the right spot to aim, heaving it inbounds with just 10 seconds left. Yoo was in the midst of a scrum at the front of the goal, and nudged it in.
"After that first goal I think our morale was completely boosted," Yoo said. "We were able to pull it out and keep playing hard against them."
DiMartino puts Massapequa ahead. Rosie DiMartino scored twice in the last 10 minutes of the first half to give No. 1 Massapequa a 2-0 lead over No. 10 Oceanside going into halftime in the Class AA final at Denton Avenue Field. Massapequa is going for its eighth straight Nassau title. The winner faces Smithtown East in the Long Island championship at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Dowling.
