SOMERS, N.Y. - Somers welcomed Arlington for Senior Night on Wednesday, Oct. 14, and goalkeeper Aimee Kovacs didn't mind that the Admirals were up close and personal throughout the afternoon.
Despite plenty of pressure, Kovacs stood tall, helping the Tuskers earn a 2-0 shutout victory.
“They were in my face, but I stopped them,” she said.
With both defenses stifling the opposition early, Somers was the first to generate a scoring opportunity. On a free hit, Caitlyn Mayfield sent the ball deep to Hailee Evers, forcing the Arlington goalkeeper to come sliding out and kick the ball clear at 10:50.
At the other end, the Somers defense answered when Arlington's Sophia LaRue escaped the zone and sent the ball ahead to Charlotte Reina. Racing down the sideline, Reina cut inside, but Leah Horowitz stepped up to stop her.
The Tuskers quickly went back on the attack. Emma Donaldson pushed the ball forward from midfield, and Mayfield found an open Evers on the left. Facing the goalkeeper one-on-one, Evers passed right, but the Arlington netminder came charging out again for the save at 8:44.
Mayfield continued to make her presence felt, starting with a midfield steal that came as no surprise to teammate Vivian Davila.
“She gets very low and stays aggressive and ambitious,” said the senior.
Mayfield soon generated another opportunity off a free hit, stickhandling inside before the Arlington goalkeeper turned her away with another kick save.
Somers maintained the pressure until Arlington's Adriana Heitman broke up the attack and sent Reina upfield. Cutting inside again, Reina unleashed a backhand shot that sailed wide at 4:30.
Arlington spent much of the remainder of the period on the attack, but the Somers defense kept the game scoreless.
Possession went back and forth in the second quarter, giving both goalkeepers a brief respite.
That changed when the Somers defense moved the ball ahead and Evers charged into the offensive zone with seven minutes remaining. A scramble developed around the Arlington goal, but the Tuskers couldn't deliver the finishing touch.
Arlington had its own opportunity when Reina carried the ball the length of the field and fired a shot that Kovacs kicked away at 3:45.
The Admirals threatened again two minutes later, but Sofia Borrelli cleared a loose ball from the crease to preserve the scoreless halftime tie.
Reina continued to test the Somers defense in the third quarter, finding space on the right and firing another shot at 12:50.
For Casey Johns, the sound of the ball striking Kovacs' pads was a familiar and welcome one.
“On the sideline we automatically cheer, ‘Aimee, not today,’” said the sophomore.
Reina wasn't finished. She delivered a cross into a crowded crease, but Kovacs was there for another kick save.
Arlington earned a penalty corner, with Reina receiving the ball and preparing to shoot. Mayfield raced out to block the attempt, drawing praise from her goalkeeper.
“My defense did great. They really kept the ball off of me,” Kovacs said.
Reina continued to create problems, collecting the ball in Arlington's zone and racing toward the Somers goal. Once again, Kovacs and her pads were up to the challenge with 6:18 remaining in the third.
Still scoreless, Somers nearly broke through when Mayfield stole the ball at midfield and sent a long pass ahead. The play eventually produced a free hit, and Sabrina Guaragna delivered a pass into the crease for Davila, whose deflection went wide at 5:21.
Arlington answered with another dangerous opportunity. Reina carried the ball deep into Somers territory before Heitman took over, stickhandling through traffic and finding enough space to fire a shot.
Kovacs turned it away with her pads at 4:26, keeping the Admirals off the scoreboard.
With the third quarter winding down, however, Somers finally broke through.
Mayfield intercepted a pass and weaved her way upfield before finding Johns, who finished the play with just 21 seconds remaining.
“I noticed Caitlyn coming down,” Johns said. “I was open facing the circle, got it and shot it.”
Leading 1-0 entering the fourth quarter, Somers still had plenty of work to do.
Arlington controlled possession in the Tuskers' zone early, but Mayfield cleared the ball with 12 minutes remaining.
Play continued to swing back and forth until Somers earned a penalty corner at 9:38.
Davila received the ball but couldn't find an opening for a shot.
“Passed back to me, I looked for the shot and didn’t have it,” she said.
Instead, the senior spotted an open teammate.
“I saw my little Emma. So I passed it across the goal, and she followed through as usual,” Davila said.
Donaldson finished the play with 9:04 remaining, giving Somers a 2-0 advantage.
Arlington continued to apply pressure down the stretch, but Kovacs refused to let the Admirals back into the game, turning aside their remaining opportunities to complete the shutout.
Johns credited her goalkeeper's quick reactions for preserving the Senior Night victory.
“They had a lot of front door opportunities,” Johns said. “She just had those quick kicks and really executed.”
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