CROSS RIVER, N.Y. - On Saturday, Nov. 7, John Jay returned to Nyack High School to face West Islip in the regional final. For nearly the entire game, the Wolves held their own against the Lions, and with less than a minute remaining in regulation, they appeared headed for another victory.
But West Islip tied the score with 49 seconds remaining and eventually delivered the winning goal late in the second overtime to hand John Jay a heartbreaking 2-1 loss.
Even so, the defeat did little to diminish what the Wolves had accomplished, according to Coco Inglis.
“We reached all our goals, winning the sectionals was our biggest. That was an electric day for us,” said Inglis. “I’m really happy how we ended the season.”
John Jay came out attacking, with Maye Viders leading the way. In her typical manner, the sophomore wing forced her way down the sideline, fought off the defense and put a shot on goal from near the end line.
At 37:35, play quickly shifted. Jenna Obloj blasted a shot off Mykel Papa, and a long lead pass rolled ahead, with Ava Bianco losing a footrace to goalkeeper Evelyn Hermanto. Avery Heuer then got behind the defense for a shot that went just wide with 34:07 left in the half.
The Lions wouldn't go away, either. Obloj found some space on the left and fired away, forcing Hermanto to make a leaping, two-handed grab.
The change of possession gave Viders another chance to make some noise. She burst through the West Islip defense, and with the John Jay crowd tracking the ball in awe, her shot clanked off the crossbar at 31:51.
It was West Islip's turn next. A corner kick initiated a scramble in front of the net, and after an initial clearance, another long pass sent Hermanto racing off her line. The John Jay goalkeeper won the race, but the Lions wouldn't leave the area.
Off a throw-in, Papa got her head on the ball, but West Islip kept pressing.
Madison Rindos led Bianco into the corner, and her crossing pass drew a gasp from the crowd. With no one there to connect, the Lions continued their attack.
Bianco then juked around her defender and, without a great angle on goal, sent another cross into the middle. Unfortunately for the West Islip wing, no one could handle the bouncing ball, and the opportunity was lost at 19:30.
John Jay finally escaped when Abby Mattielo made a steal at midfield. Following a throw-in, Viders received the ball, moved toward the middle and fired wide.
Matching the John Jay sophomore's ball-handling skills, Rindos showed off some moves of her own at 13:55. Working from the left, she stopped, dribbled behind her lead foot and sent Bianco down the sideline. With enough space to shoot, Bianco launched an attempt that sailed high.
Still, John Jay couldn't get out of its defensive zone. Papa fouled Rindos, and on the ensuing free kick, Hermanto was again reaching high for the save.
On the punt, Viders won a 50-50 ball and was tripped, drawing another whistle. This time, Papa stepped up and sent a high ball toward the goal.
Play shifted again, and Sabrina Sherant was tripped in the corner. On the ensuing free kick, Meghan Farrell passed into the crease, where Rindos' deflection went directly to Hermanto.
The scoreless game moved into the second half, and West Islip's determination hadn't diminished.
Bianco got down the sideline and fired from the right. After her shot missed, the ball remained in the area, allowing Giuliana Palmeri to tee up another attempt. Papa, however, got in the way.
Of course, West Islip played defense, too. Viders' lead pass to Julia Kowalczyk briefly raised the hopes of the John Jay faithful, but the Lions' defense converged to end the threat at 34:30.
From there, the free kicks went back and forth.
One of West Islip's best opportunities came when Papa moved to intercept a long pass, resulting in a collision with Rindos. On the ensuing free kick from about 20 yards out, Farrell passed up a shot and sent the ball inside.
The ball bounced around before reaching the crease, but Hermanto was on high alert and managed to push it out of bounds with 23 minutes remaining.
Another free kick near the halfway point of the period had Papa preparing to defend. Bianco got her head on the initial ball, but Papa took care of business by clearing it high.
Ninety seconds later, West Islip had another near miss. A shot on goal produced a rebound, but Hermanto was able to cover the ball just ahead of Kate Swallow.
Then the two standouts met.
Viders and Bianco battled for possession at midfield, and with bodies falling, the whistle went in West Islip's favor. The ensuing ball bounced around in front of the goal before Hermanto covered it at 15:04.
Viders would win the more important battle, though.
Off a throw-in, Inglis kept the ball alive with her head, angling it toward the middle, where Mattielo got a foot on it. The ball found Viders, who fought for control, settled it and dribbled around the defense.
With an open look at the goal, Viders fired a shot into the right corner of the net to give John Jay a 1-0 lead.
With nine minutes remaining, the Wolves initially looked to let their offense serve as their defense. Even so, West Islip kept coming.
That left Lila Baker and Papa leading the defensive effort, and in the final minute, Dillon Hall seemed to be everywhere, getting to loose balls and helping protect the lead.
But with just 49 seconds remaining, Angelina Hernandez lifted a shot toward the goal.
Hermanto reached up, but the ball slipped off her hands and into the net, tying the score at 1-1.
The goalkeeper bent over in disappointment, but the Wolves still had a game to finish.
Neither team generated many quality chances in the first overtime, but West Islip stepped up its attack in the second.
The ball flew around the John Jay defensive zone, but the tie held as the clock continued to wind down.
Unfortunately for the Wolves, the Lions eventually broke through.
Rindos worked her way down the left sideline and, with a little room to operate, lofted a shot that left Hermanto with no chance.
The goal ended John Jay's season with a 2-1 double-overtime defeat.
It would have been easy for the Wolves to dwell on the tying goal at the end of regulation. Instead, Inglis offered some perspective.
“For a ball to even get to Evelyn, it has to go through all of us,” said the junior. “It’s not anyone’s fault.”
The Wolves rallied around their goalkeeper, who had made numerous crucial saves throughout the contest. Their support reflected the team's approach throughout its postseason run.
“We play for each other, not anything else,” Inglis said.
And while the season ended one victory short of another championship, Viders was already looking ahead.
“I feel good things for the future,” she concluded.
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