East Islip field hockey's Madison Kearney scores winner in shootout
Madison Kearney of East Islip reacts after scoring the winning goal in a shootout against Sayville during a Suffolk Division II field hockey game on Friday, Sept. 18, 2026 in East Islip. Credit: Dawn McCormick
An hour wasn’t long enough to decide this South Shore rivalry. Neither was two. It almost took three.
Four quarters, an overtime period and three shootouts. That’s what it took for the host East Islip field hockey team to defeat Sayville, 2-1, in Suffolk II action on Friday.
Madison Kearney scored the winning goal for East Islip in the shootout. East Islip won the shootout period, 6-5.
“I don’t think I’ve ever felt anything like that,” Kearney said. “I didn’t think I was going to be able to do it. To do it and then turn around and see my whole team running toward me, it was a feeling I’ve never felt before.”
East Islip struck early, when Aubree Jones scored on a fast break off Hailey Kiernan’s assist with four minutes left in the first quarter. The team then managed to fend Sayville off until the final minute of regulation.
On a penalty corner, Emma Tloczkowski drove the ball from the top of the circle to the left post, where Joella Besosa deflected in Sayville’s equalizer with 22.5 seconds remaining.
After a scoreless overtime, East Islip decided to try something different. Sophomore goalkeeper Emily Saccone stepped in for the shootouts after not playing a minute prior on Friday.
“I was a little bit scared, I was a little bit nervous,” Saccone said. “But I know my teammates are always there to pick me up, so I believed in myself. We knew we couldn’t let [Sayville’s] goal define us and I’m so proud of my team. I wouldn’t want to win this game any other way.”
In her first varsity shootout and only her third varsity game, Saccone held Sayville to five goals on 15 shootout attempts.
In regulation, Brooke McCally made nine saves for East Islip (4-3) and Samantha Henry made three stops for Sayville (4-2).
East Islip coach Chris Viet said it’s moments like these that define the high school athletics experience.
“It’s a memory that they will cherish for the rest of their lives,” Viet said. “It was unbelievable. It’s the reason we do team sports and athletics. The emotions, the experiences you have on this field, you can’t get it anywhere else.”
Tess Ferguson is a reporter on Newsday's high school sports staff. She joined the team after graduating with a journalism degree from Ithaca College in 2025.
