Isabella Cunha's overtime winner sends Carle Place field hockey to Class C state final
Carle Place midfield Isabella Cuhna (left) celebrates her game winning goal in overtime against Akron with team mate Paige Selhom in the Class C state semifinals, Saturday, November 11, 2023. Credit: George A Faella
Isabella Cunha found herself in an unfamiliar role in familiar territory.
The Carle Place junior, who is typically stationed at midfield, has pleaded all season with her coach, Elissa Frien, to play a more offensive role.
Finally granted the chance in the state Class C semifinals Saturday morning at Centereach High School, Cunha proved that she belonged up the field.
With 4:44 remaining in the first 7-on-7 sudden victory overtime period, Cunha scored the winner off a tip from Paige Selhorn to lift the Frogs to a 1-0 win over Section VI’s Akron, earning a spot in the state Class C final. Carle Place (15-4) will face Section IV’s Whitney Point on Sunday at 10 a.m. at Centereach.
Isabella Cunha scores off an assist from Paige Selhorn with 4:44 remaining in overtime to lift Carle Place to a 1-0 win over Section VI’s Akron in the state Class C semifinals. The Frogs will need to defeat Section IV’s Whitney Point tomorrow at 10 a.m. for the state crown. pic.twitter.com/XBebI4nSDa
— Carissa Kellman (@CarissaKellman) November 12, 2023
“I’ve begged to play offense all year, so it was like a dream come true to score the winning goal,” Cunha said.
Though the Frogs failed to connect through the first 60 minutes, they knew the overtime period was where they would finish strong.
“It’s like our secret weapon,” Selhorn said. “We practice 7-on-7 all the time, and this is the third time we’ve gone into overtime this season. We were nothing but confident."
“They’re great in 7-on-7 situations,” Frein said. “It’s something we practice every day and they have the experience executing in games. We’ve continued to dominate in that space and it’s a credit to how the pressure never gets to them.”
Akron (17-2) did not make it past midfield through the first quarter and made its first attempt to score with six minutes left before the half. Goalkeeper Megan Rice made four saves for Carle Place.
“They're a great team and you could see that by how they adjusted in the second half,” Frein said. “They used the air space, which is something we’re not used to, but the girls did an incredible job at widening their coverage and keeping their sticks down.
“I knew that this team was going to do it," Frein added. "They're a special team.”
