Things couldn’t have looked much worse.

Down 0-3 against a perennial rival, many teams would have succumbed to frustration and disappointment and lost their will to compete. Our girls’ soccer team is not like most teams.

After Smithtown Christian hung three first half goals on the Bears, head coach Mark Maningo made a key switch, moving sophomore Morgan Pius from goalie to forward. 30 minutes later the Bears were up 5-3.

In a thrilling second half cannonade, the Bears scored five times, led by three goals from Pius, to engineer the largest comeback victory in program history. Anna Wadding added a goal, Erin Morrison had a goal and an assist, and Emily Pius recorded two assists to help complete the comeback. The defense held firm over the final forty minutes, holding the potent Knights’ offense scoreless. Linnea Pizza, who replaced Pius in goal, turned away five shots.

The win was reminiscent of the girls’ miraculous comeback in last season’s County Championship in which they came back from a 1-3 deficit with just four minutes remaining. If there’s one defining quality about our girls, it is their willingness to persevere when all signs point to defeat. It’s one among many reasons that make us proud they are Bears.

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