Julianne Arcoleo's goal lifts West Islip past East Islip
West Islip midfielder Julianna Arcoleo moves the ball out of the zone against East Islip in a Suffolk League V game Mondayvat West Islip. Credit: George A. Faella
Last fall, Julianne Arcoleo was put in a position no athlete wants to be in for any game, let alone a playoff contest against a top rival. Arcoleo was forced to miss West Islip’s semifinal against East Islip last year due to a red card in the previous matchup. West Islip still won and she rejoined the Lions on their eventual championship run, but Arcoleo was determined to make her presence felt the next time the star midfielder shared a field with East Islip.
It didn’t take her long on Monday to do just that.
Arcoleo scored less than two minutes into the contest, sending a cross from Ava Obloj into the lower-left corner of the net, for the eventual winning goal as host West Islip defeated East Islip, 1-0, in Suffolk Division II girls soccer play on Monday.
“We knew we needed to come out strong,” Arcoleo said. “We knew they were going to come out hard. They really wanted to beat us after everything that happened last year, so we had to come out as strong as we could and not give anything up.”
West Islip defeated East Islip three times last season, including 3-2 in overtime of the Suffolk Class AA semifinals.
“We beat them in the playoffs last year and we’re probably going to end up seeing them again in the playoffs this year,” Arcoleo said. “We didn’t want to start off with a loss. It sets a tone for the whole season.”
“They are our No. 1 rival,” Obloj said. “Every time we play them, it’s really intense. The whole game is always back and forth, but this time, we came out on top.”
Obloj was thrilled to have Arcoleo on the field for this contest, as no matter what field the two are on, Obloj is always seeking out the Columbia commit.
“Every single time,” Obloj said. “Even at practice, I’m always looking for her because I know she’s going to be there.”
East Islip falls to 0-1-1. West Islip (1-0-1) won its first Suffolk Class AA title since 2019, and first Long Island Class AA title since 2009, last year. The Lions lost in the state Class AA quarterfinals, and look for an even deeper postseason run this fall.
“They want to win the county championship again, they are hungry for the Long Island championship and they want to go as far as they possibly can,” coach Ed Jablonski said. “We know what their goals are, we talk about them constantly, and they are constantly working to get to them. It drives everything that they accomplish.”
