Goals have not come easy against the McKee/Staten Island Tech defense of late. During the Seagulls’ eight-game winning streak, opponents found the back of the net just four times, none of them coming in three playoff games. Even so, holding a one-goal lead with less than 10 minutes left in the semifinals, MSIT coach Joanna Santarpia would have liked a bigger cushion.
“I was getting nervous towards the end,” she said. “I know we have one goal. I know our defense wants this game. I know our team wants to win this game, but I would have liked an insurance goal.”
It turned out they needed it.
Rival and No. 3-seeded Tottenville scored twice in the final eight minutes, handing the Seagulls an emotional 2-1 defeat in the PSAL Class A girls semifinals at Flushing Meadows Park Thursday. No. 7 MSIT beat No. 2 Bronx Science 1-0 in the quarterfinals and Tottenville (14-2-0) by the same score in the teams’ regular-season finale.
“I think we got too confident that we had it and we slowed down a little bit and they took advantage,” senior Val Dema said.
The senior put MSIT up 1-0 in the 21st minute with a blast from 30 yards outside the box on the left side. The Seagulls defense of sweeper Breanna Brukalo, Nicole Brennan, Alyssa Buitrago and Brenna DeRosa didn’t stop Tottenville from pressuring, but thwarted any quality scoring chances, up until the final 20 minutes as the Pirates pushed up.
Right in front of the goal line, Nicole Tantillo kicked up the rebound of a Kasey Murphy shot to get things even in the 71st minute. The Seagulls (12-4-0) then got a break when Tottenville was called for a handball in the box minutes later. Santarpia said the girls chose to let Brukalo take the PK instead of star midfielder Jackie Bruno, because the junior had been burying them consistently in practice. Brukalo’s shot was easily saved by Tottenville keeper Julia Simoniello.
“In practice she always hits them,” Dema said. “She is always so consistent. It’s unfortunate because she always gives 150 percent every single day, every game. She got unlucky.”
It was a trend that continued. Tottenville’s Brianna Castaldo sent a rising shot from 35 yards out to the upper 90 that MSIT goalie Yuliya Kim leapt to stop, but saw roll off her hands and in for the winner in the 76th minute. The Seagulls had one final corner kick with time running out, but saw it easily cleared.
It put an end to the team’s rebound from back-to-back losses to Susan Wagner and Tottenville early in the season as it earned a return trip to the semifinals. MSIT loses just three seniors next season.
“It was a very unusual start for us,” Santarpia said. “We were still trying to piece our team together in the beginning of the season and when it finally clicked no one stopped us until now.”