Carle Place field hockey falls again to Whitney Point in state Class C tournament
LAGRANGEVILLE, N.Y.— For the second straight season, the Carle Place field hockey team found its season ended by Section IV’s Whitney Point.
Carle Place fell, 4-0, to Whitney Point in the state Class C semifinal game at Arlington High School on Saturday.
The Frogs were defeated by the Golden Eagles, 2-0, in last season’s state championship.
“The strong bond we’ve built over the past four years shows on the field,” senior Luna Coronel said. “We kept fighting until the last moment, but it ultimately wasn’t enough.”
Anna Huston scored with 2:49 left in the first quarter for Whitney Point (18-2). Colleen Hilderbrant fired a cross in front of the net to Sadee Short for the Golden Eagle’s second goal with 7:38 to play in the first half. Six minutes later, Payton Martin found Genevieve Huston for a 3-0 lead at halftime.
“I was telling them they needed to control the controllables, and they left it all out on the field and as a coach that’s all you can ask from your players,” coach Elissa Frein said. “I couldn’t be prouder of them.”
Hilderbrant added a fourth and final goal for Whitney Point thanks to a pass from Ava Oliver which went past the diving Megan Rice with 2:38 left in the third quarter. Rice made 11 saves for Carle Place.
Carle Place (14-4) earned its first corner with 6:30 left in the game, but Whitney Point goalkeeper Lauren Magill made the diving save to prevent the Frogs from scoring.
“I think they came into this game confident. I don't think the score reflects how our season went,” coach Elissa Frein said. “They worked so hard to get to this point and this was a really special group of girls they had that determination and grit and while today wasn’t our day, we’ll be back next year.”
While the loss will sting, Carle Place has no regrets about what they have built on and off the field this season.
“Every season you never know how far you're going to go and what’s going to come out of it, but this was the best we’ve ever looked in terms of our athleticism and teamwork,” Coronel said. “We've really picked it up and have been playing amazing field hockey and connecting. It was amazing to watch us make great plays and great goals and grow this season.”
Added senior Isabella Cunha: “Getting here is a great moment and we keep our heads up because we have no doubt that the next team can come here and do what we couldn’t do.”
