Lexie Kennedy's goal gives Bayport-Blue Point Long Island Class C field hockey title
Bayport-Blue Point celebrates after defeating Carle Place in the Long Island Class C field hockey championship on Sunday at Sachem East. Credit: Bob Sorensen
In its first season as a Class C team, Bayport-Blue Point field hockey wasted no time making a statement.
Formerly a Class B team, Bayport-Blue Point won the Long Island Class C final in a 1-0 decision over reigning champion Carle Place. Senior captain Lexie Kennedy scored the Phantoms’ lone goal in the fourth quarter.
Bayport-Blue Point (16-1) will advance to the NYSPHSAA semifinals, where they will face the winner of Rondout Valley (Section IX) and Little Falls (Section III) at 2 p.m. Saturday at Arlington High School. Carle Place finished 11-5.
“These girls have worked so hard all season and they earned this,” said coach Karen Gick. “They left everything they had on the field today. We knew that as long as these girls gave it everything they got — heart and hustle — this would be their game.”
Much of the first half was a battle in the midfield with neither team able to make offensive progress. Carle Place earned three consecutive penalty corners midway through the second quarter, but Bayport-Blue Point goalkeeper Zoe Saliani made two clutch saves to keep the score tied at zero heading into halftime.
“I have to remind myself that this is all for fun,” Saliani said. “I know I can rely on my defense to clear the ball out as soon as I save it, so they make my job easy. I love doing this and it means so much more to win with this team.”
Neither goalkeeper faced a shot in the third quarter, which made the fourth all the more intense.
Just under five minutes into the fourth quarter, Bayport-Blue Point earned its second penalty corner of the competition. This time, they broke the ice. Out of a scrum on the left side, Kennedy broke free to plant the ball in the back of the net and give the Phantoms a 1-0 lead with 11:24 remaining.
“It felt so good,” Kennedy said. “I’m a defender, I don’t score often, so I was so glad that it went in and that I could put my team in a good spot.”
Fighting to get back in contention, Carle Place earned two penalty corners within the final minute of regulation, but could not capitalize before the clock ran out. Saliani made four saves throughout the contest for the shutout.
“I think we were really just building up to this,” Saliani said. “We’ve worked so hard all season, we only lost once, but I think it just came down to us wanting it more.”
Knowing she and her team have already made history, Gick said whatever comes next is just an added bonus.
“I’m thrilled to have another full week with these girls,” Gick said. “I never want it to end. This is such a special group of student-athletes and I’m so excited to get back to work.”
