East Hampton Looking To Break Out

For now, success for the East Hampton girls soccer team has to be measured in little pieces.

The defense is coming around, and that’s a start: The next project is to get the offense rolling.

The locals are 0-3 thus far in the young season (0-2 in Conference II play) and have yet to score a goal. Unfortunately, that is not a rare occurrence for a team that went winless last season.

A 4-0 home field loss to Harborfields on September 14 may not seem like much on paper. The Tornadoes (1-1-1) have a good squad but at times had trouble moving the ball against Bonac. When they did penetrate, Lucy Short, guarding the home net with gusto, was there to stave off trouble, recording 10 saves.

Harborfields had its moments though, especially when Peyton Buckholtz had control of the ball. The junior, who drilled nine goals and tallied 15 points last season, hasn’t lost the knack. She scored twice, and Sophia Ruisi added a goal and an assist to lead Harborfields (1-1-1) in a Suffolk II match-up.

The Lady Bonackers opened the season September 5 with a 2-0 loss to East Islip but there was cause for optimism: The Lady Redmen blanked the locals 6-0 last season. Short was magnificent in defeat, logging 15 saves.

East Hampton gets Pierson/Bridgehampton at home Friday, September 21 at 4:30 PM.

Southampton beat East Hampton 2-0 on September 12: Carli Cameron scored a goal and assisted on another to lead Southampton to a non-league victory. Odalis Novoa also scored for the winners and Angley Ramirez hauled in 10 saves in net. Short recorded six saves for East Hampton.

The Mariners had their comeuppance two games later, however, when they traveled to Half Hollow Hills and limped home, beaten 8-0. The powerful Cougars are 5-0 already and looking very much like a championship contender in the Large School division. The Lady Mariners play at home Friday, September 21 at 4:15 PM against Smithtown Christian and travel to Sag Harbor for a 4:30 match against Pierson the following Monday.

The Lady Whalers are 1-3 on the young season but bested Amityville 2-0 in the latest game, on September 14, scoring for the first time in the season. Credit Chastin Giles, an all-County performer, drilled home both scores. Katie Kneeland, manning the net, turned back 10 shots.

Hampton Bays (1-3) mauled Westhampton (1-3) 8-0 on September 13 with Cassidy Canberg and Dianna Glaser doing much of the damage; Glaser found the back of the net three times, and Canberg added a goal and two assists.

The Lady Hurricanes play Mt. Sinai at home Friday afternoon (4 PM); Hampton Bays travels to Bellport Monday, September 24 (3:45 PM).

Mattituck/Southold/Greenport is winless after three games. The North Forkers play at Miller Place September 21 at 4:30 PM.

Boys Soccer

East Hampton, playing in League V, raised some eyebrows by dropping two straight games to open the season, because the fact is, Bonac is better than that.

After two straight shutouts last week, things are looking a lot brighter on Long Lane.

On September 12, a 3-0 whitewashing of Rocky Point at home was just what the doctors ordered. The locals scored once in the first, added two more goals in the second, and played keep away in the third. Zane Musnicki, Brian Gonzalez, and Sebastian Fuquen all found the net for the winners; Musnicki and Christopher Pintado earned assists.

On Saturday, September 15, again playing on the Long Lane field, Bonac edged Rocky Point 1-0. Fuquen found Liam Leach for the game winner. Bonac travels to Westhampton beach on Saturday, September 22, for a 10 AM showdown with the Hurricanes.

Three North Fork Schools are vying for the league VIII title: Greenport, Mattituck, and Southold are all 2-1 in league play. Mattituck is slated to play at Greenport on Thursday, September 20; and the Clippers go down Route 25 to Southold on Monday.

rmurphy@indyeastend.com