Bronx Science never felt like it was going to lose, but that belief was hard to hold onto down a goal and the time ticking away.
“We had a bunch of girls crying and they were all defeated and upset,” senior midfielder Phoebe Dawkins said. “I really felt we were going to pull it together.”
Eventually they did.
Junior Miami Rahaman ran onto a Dawkins’ through ball up the right side. She beat two defenders and got off a quick, hard shot from the top of the box into the lower far corner to knot the score and send the game to overtime. To start the second extra session Dawkins controlled a loose ball, dribbled past a defender and deposited a 20-yard shot in the upper 90 for the game winner. It completed No. 1 Bronx Science’s second comeback in a thrilling 3-2 victory over No. 8 Long Island City in the PSAL Class A quarterfinals Tuesday at Lehman HS.
“I have never felt that excited in my life,” Dawkins said. “It was really relieving.”
The unbeaten Wolverines (14-0-0) were rarely tested in league play during the regular season in Bronx A and came out flat after beating Lab Museum, 6-0, in the second round. Queens A-V champion Long Island City (14-1-0), making its first quarterfinals appearance, was the aggressor early and took a 1-0 lead midway through the second half. Geraldine Huisa sent a shot across the box to the far post that stayed on the goal line until Brenda Vergaray kicked it home. The Wolverines tied it just before the half on an Alexandra Scheman strike from the top of the box.
“I felt the first half we didn’t have any fire,” Dawkins said. “We were expecting to win, so we didn’t bring it as much as we did in our first playoff game. We needed to have a tight game. We can’t screw around anymore.”
Added Bronx Science coach Annie Eckstein: “From the beginning it seemed like they were not quite ready to step up and give the effort.”
Bronx Science was playing without three starters — Jackie Weeden, Lucy Evert and Sophia Vainesman — because of injury, but Wideen was inserted in after LIC scored for a spark. All three are expected to play in the semifinals.
The Wolverines began to control play in the second half, but couldn’t find the back of the net. The Bulldogs grabbed a 2-1 advantage in the 50th minute when Chantell Chimbo netted a breakaway goal. It appeared that might hold up until Rahaman scored with 2:00 remaining in regulation.
“Today as much as everyone was expecting a blowout we put up an amazing fight against the first-seeded team,” LIC coach Mark Skorupski said. “I didn’t think we could go anywhere close to playing Bronx Science and winning and we were two minutes away from pulling this off. The girls did amazing and the program came a really long way.”
The Wolverines are hoping this experience helps them as they try to win a second city title in the last three years. They face No. 4 Bayside in the semifinals 10 a.m. Friday at Grand Street.
“I honestly think it was good for us and it was a relief to survive it,” Eckstein said. “We haven’t really had that kind of challenge during the regular season.”
Beacon 4, Tottenville 0: Jennifer Angione scored three times on assists from Alex Easton in the second half for defending champion and No. 2 Beacon (15-0-0) in the PSAL Class A quarterfinals.
Emily Mendes found the back of the net off a feed from Desiree Nestor late in the first half in a rematch of last year’s final, after No. 7 Tottenville misfired on its best scoring chance of the game. Angione’s first goal came 15 minutes into the second half.
“The game was very hard fought in the midfield, but I would say we spent more of the first half in their end,” Blue Demons coach Kevin Jacobs said. “Once you get down to the box they are good. Their defense is very good.”
He believes his team is peaking offensively at the right time, but can still improve defensively. He credited sweeper Liza Kapelus with settling down the back line.
Tottenville moved up sweeper Joanne Mierzejewski, who Jacobs credited for frustrating his offense early, in the second half to try to create some scoring chances. The Pirates managed just two shots on goal. Beacon faces No. 6 Francis Lewis 12 p.m. Friday at Grand Street in the semifinals.
“It opened up some opportunities for us going the other way,” Jacobs said.