Ward Melville's Montanna Nemeth makes late save to preserve scoreless girls soccer draw with St. Anthony's
St. Anthony's Elliana Dos Santos and Ward Melville's Maddie Costello fight for the ball in the first half during a non-league girls soccer game on Thursday at Ward Melville. Credit: Bob Sorensen
A palpable respect exists between the St. Anthony’s and Ward Melville girls soccer programs.
The two Long Island titans have made it an annual tradition to meet in non-league play, giving each coach a tremendous opportunity to gauge where their teams stand early in the season. Ward Melville has won back-to-back state championships, not losing a game since 2021. The Friars, CHSAA state champs in 2021 and 2022, did not allow a goal in an undefeated 2023 regular season before a loss in the NSCHSAA final.
Neither team could break the ice Thursday, though, as the host Patriots played to a scoreless draw with their Catholic league counterparts for the third consecutive season.
“For us, playing against state champs and people who are always dominant on the Island, that’s what you want to be,” St. Anthony’s coach Scott Carey said. “I said it last year, if you want to be the best, you have to compete against the best.”
Ward Melville coach John Diehl added: “I love this game [against St. Anthony’s]. I always love playing against them. It’s always intense because you have to play at a high level. You get exposed with stuff if you don’t.”
St. Anthony’s (0-0-1) turned on the jets late, forcing four corner kicks in the final five minutes. Forward Avrie Nelsen made one last effort with about five seconds left, racing to a loose ball at the end of the 18-yard box and giving it a touch with the outside of her right foot.
But Ward Melville goalie Montanna Nemeth (four saves) was in perfect position just inches away, pouncing onto the ball for the tie-preserving save.
“[It was] kind of just like, come out and get it, because that’s something I really need to work on,” Nemeth said. “… I was like, ‘Oh God.’ But then I knew I had to do it, and I really was hoping the time would run out right there.”
Kate Ronzoni started in net for Ward Melville (1-0-1), making four first-half saves. Nemeth, who showed tremendous poise amid the late Friars charge, did not find out she was playing until right before the second half.
St. Anthony’s goalie Juliana Mosca played all 80 minutes, making five saves in the shutout.
“Before the game, when I was warming up with [assistant] coach Nir [Sveri], he was kind of killing me with the chips,” Mosca said. “I just did what he went over, with me in my head. It was like, 'go back, don’t dive back into the goal, make sure you stand tall.' So that’s what I did.”
Ben Dickson joined Newsday’s high school sports staff in 2023 after graduating from Maryland, where he covered several of the Terrapins' teams.
