Audrey McCarville's PK seals win, giving Sachem East LI Class AAA girls soccer crown
Sachem East wins the Long Island Class AAA girls soccer championship at Farmingdale State on Sunday. Credit: Peter Frutkoff
Audrey McCarville had the opportunity of a lifetime.
With penalty kicks tied at 3, a goal by McCarville would give Sachem East a Long Island championship.
The sophomore stepped forward and struck the ball with her right foot. It found the bottom left corner. She immediately ran to her goalkeeper, Paige Seaman, and the celebration was on.
Sachem East defeated Oceanside, 1-0 — winning in PKs, 4-3, after a scoreless game through regulation and overtime — to capture the Long Island Class AAA girls soccer championship at Farmingdale State on Sunday night.
“I know where I’m going. I know what I have to do. Just place it in the net,” McCarville said of her mindset. “It felt so unreal to do it for my team, to do it for Aubree Ellis, our only senior. It was just an amazing feeling.”
Oceanside generated chances but simply couldn’t beat Seaman. She made nine saves during regulation and overtime, then registered two stops in the shootout.
“Obviously, it’s a guessing game in PKs, but it was just, I see it and I go for it,” Seaman said. “This team is like a family to me, and I’m so happy for all of us. Proud of each and every one of us because we worked for this.”
Braelin Fernandes, Gabriella Arculeo and Ella Scotti converted Sachem East’s penalty kicks before McCarville’s winner. Gianna Visone, Natalia Peredo and Addison Goldstein scored Oceanside’s penalties.
Seaman stopped Oceanside’s second and fourth penalty attempts. On both, she dived to her left and batted the ball down with both hands.
“Paige has saved us many times this year. She’s made game-winning saves time after time,” Sachem East coach Glen Monsen said. “To stop two of those PKs to allow us to win this is absolutely beyond anything that I can imagine.”
Seaman also made several stops during play that required leaping and diving efforts. Oceanside outshot and outpossessed Sachem East, but the Nassau champions couldn’t find the back of the net.
“I think our girls were very resilient and worked really hard,” Oceanside coach Danielle Chiera said. “We had the ball a lot in their half. Unfortunately, they just couldn’t find the back of the net.”
Sachem East defenders Aaliyah Hollis and Nicolette Sevimlioglu made key plays to keep Oceanside away from the net.
Sachem East’s mentality throughout the season was to do it for Ellis, the team’s only senior and a captain, and she has led them.
“We’re always reminding each other, we’re family, we’re family. Do this together, do this as a team,” Ellis said. “It doesn’t even feel real, but I knew we could do it.”
Monsen said the team’s youth never diminished his belief in what it could accomplish.
“I knew all along this team had what it takes. We’re talented, we’re tough, we’re smart. We play good soccer,” Monsen said. “I didn’t ever guarantee a victory, but I always felt that they were capable of this.”
Sachem East will face the Section I or Section IX champion in a regional final on Saturday. This is the program’s first Long Island title since 2007.
“It’s so exciting that we’re just climbing more and more towards our goal,” McCarville said. “We just got to keep working and pushing through.”
