Led by Lily Diaz (2G, 2A) and Anna Burns (2G, 1A), Yorktown continued its great season with a 6-1 triumph at Mahopac on Monday afternoon.
“We felt good about the way we played yesterday,” said Yorktown coach Courtney Hyndman. “We came out a little flat at first and had to get our beginning-of-the-game jitters out. Second quarter we came out with a lot of energy, communicated well, and stayed focused throughout the game. Everyone did their job and played for each other, which made a big difference.”
Preparation and teamwork were the biggest reasons for the Huskers’ win, according to Hyndman.
“We executed our game plan, played hard on both sides of the ball, and didn’t let up even when we had the lead,” Hyndman said. We stayed disciplined and took advantage of our opportunities.”
The win improved Yorktown’s record to 10-1.
“Our season has definitely been successful thus far,” Diaz said. “I’d attribute our success to the connection we players have. We’re a very tight-knit group of girls, and being close like that only enables us to play for one another on the field.”
Diaz added that”we're lucky enough to have coach Courtney and coach Britt (Paulus) who dedicate so much time to the success of our team. The combination of our coaches' steadfastness alongside our relationship as players is what has enabled our team to be so successful.”
After a scoreless first quarter, Ava Ryan and Diaz scored in the second quarter to give Yorktown a 2-0 halftime lead.
“Ending the first quarter at 0-0 left us feeling very motivated to come out strong as we started the next quarter,” Diaz said. “We took some time in the huddle to support one another and discuss what needed to change when we went back onto the field; by taking this information and applying it, Ava and I were able to find success in the circle. It definitely felt great to notch the first two goals and give us some momentum to feed off of.”
The two teams exchanged goals in the third quarter, with Kayleigh Pontillo scoring for Mahopac and Emma Donnelly (1G, 1A) scoring for the Huskers with the visitors leading 3-1 going into the fourth quarter.
That quarter is where Yorktown pulled away, with two goals by Burns, followed by a goal from Diaz.
“We’re lucky enough to feel supported by the line of defense (Juliet Horton, Grace Condron, Zoe Ellison, and Sam Conboy, 1 save) that sits behind us,” Diaz said. “They were able to get the ball up the field to Anna and me, enabling us to score off of their success. Finishing the game on a high note definitely meant a lot to us. Ending the first quarter scoreless didn’t feel great, and I’m proud that we were able to turn it around and continue to fight till the last whistle.”
Izzy Wilson (1A) contributed to the victory as well.
“We were able to come out with the win today because of our team's ability to support one another,” Diaz said. “We get to see each other each day both at school and at practice, which makes us an even closer group of friends. That connection truly motivates us to play for one another, which allowed us to win today.”
Alana D’Andraia, Ella Robustelli, Claire Sullivan, Avery Perl, Megan Durante, Maya Price, Maddie Murray and Gabriela Esteves also have contributed to the Huskers’ success this fall.
“Our success comes from the work the girls have put in all season,” Hyndman said. “We have a great group that holds each other accountable, stays positive, encourages each other and keeps working to get better. They trust each other, and that chemistry has really carried over onto the field coupled with the leadership of our captains (Diaz, D'Andraia, Durante, Horton, and Wilson).”
Yorktown’s next game is 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8 against visiting Rye.
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