In a South Shore showdown, the Bayport-Blue Point Phantoms, power ranked No. 5, beat their archrivals, the Sayville Golden Flashes, power ranked No. 3, with a score of 1-0 on Monday, Sept. 11.

“Sayville is very well respected; they have a well-seasoned coach,” said BBP head coach, Katina Cokinos. “Knowing that we were playing a cross-town rival with a legit program and legit coach, we had to prepare to match that.”

With the matchup held on the most somber day in recent American history, both teams carried the additional weight of honoring those affected by Sept. 11.

“It was a very special day for both teams—many in the community are blue collar, in the armed services—we were all playing for something bigger than ourselves,” said Cokinos, who had also just attended her grandmother’s funeral in the days leading up to the game.

With New York State Soccer, Section 11, and the Suffolk County Girls Soccer Coaches Association introducing power-ranking last year, the BBP/Sayville matchup took on a stronger significance within Division III as the gap between the two programs has grown smaller.

“We tell the girls every game is important though, and that off the field stuff doesn’t really matter,” said Cokinos.

With two well-matched teams, the game started intensely with very physical play, but Cokinos said, “not dirty; tackles were made on both sides that showed a lot of strength.”

Last year, the Phantoms lost to the Flashes with a final score of 2-1 and Cokinos said, “We’ve had a chip on our shoulder since then and had the mentality of ‘this year, we’ll prove we are the better team.’”

By halftime, with the score still at 0-0, Cokinos said the team had played resiliently well and that they were rallied “not to let their foot off the gas.”

With 15 minutes left in the second half, Connor Leahy put herself in a precarious position and drew a penalty.

“Connor’s hard work and her willingness to go for that hard goal was what got us that PK,” said Cokinos.

Senior and captain, a five-season varsity player, Bella Juliano took and made the kick for the team, resulting in the only, and ultimately winning, goal of the game.

Described by Cokinos as a “capable,” “composed,” and “consistent,” player, Juliano and the team has been practicing PKs, stemming from a heartbreaking loss to Eastport-South Manor in the playoffs.

Goalie Alex Kaler, who is only a freshman and is in her second varsity season, “made several saves that kept up in the game,” said Cokinos.

Injured captain, Sam Haber, willingly and with great enthusiasm took on a new role on the bench, keeping players on and off the field motivated and focused.

“We were devastated when we found out Sam got hurt,” said Cokinos. “Arguably, Sam on the bench was one of the most electric things of the day. She got the entire bench involved, talking to the teammates, distracting the other team.”

Taking over Haber’s crucial role as centerback was junior Kaelyn Walsh, who Cokinos said was a “great defender.”

As centerbacks are typically trained in tandem with a teammate, it was fortuitous that Haber’s partner was Sophia Constantino, who happened to be Walsh’s best friend.

“The camaraderie was already there,” said Cokinos.

The midfield three, consisting of Juliano as attack midfield, Emma Karafantis as center midfielder, and Lilly McInnes as defensive center midfielder (albeit in alternating positions), were also key to the momentum and ultimate victory of the Phantoms.

Cokinos, who served as assistant coach last year, noted some gaps of the previous program’s dedication and discipline, citing lackadaisical promptness and attendance.

“We really want to rebuild girls soccer in BBP and make it a sport that girls want to play after losing traction in the last few years,” said Cokinos.

Athletic director for the BBP School District, Tim Mullins, said, “I look forward to observing coach Cokinos continue the positive direction of our girls soccer program. She brings a plethora of soccer experience and has a clear vision coupled with high expectations for our student-athletes and program.”

The new philosophy is one about “instilling toughness,” “class,” and “being a family.”

“We are a family. It’s ‘we over me,’” said Cokinos.

“Every time we step onto the field, we’re always playing for something bigger than ourselves; we play for each other,” said the team in a joint statement.