On this day eight years ago, the girls’ soccer team won a third consecutive Long Island Championship in a 3-0 victory over Friends Academy. Here is the recap of the game from Mike Gavin of Newsday.

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Pappas & Stiklickas Lead Stony Brook

Stony Brook goalkeeper Danielle Pappas has fond memories of her trip to the state tournament last year. She distinctly remembers attending a ceremonial dinner that hosted all of the competing teams. She wants to be at that dinner again this year.

With 14 saves in a 3-0 win against Friends Academy Tuesday in the Long Island Class C girls’ soccer championship at Tully Field, Pappas and the Bears are one win from reserving their table in Cortland.

“Last year was this whole new concept to us,” Pappas said of playing in the states. “It just felt awesome being at that dinner with all the other teams. But we had some injured players in our semifinal game and it was hard to push through that. This year, we will make it and keep it together.”

While Pappas and sweeper Brianna Stiklickas – who coach Mark Maningo said “deserved the credit for the win” – contained Friends on the defensive side of the ball, Michelle Hennessy provided the offense. With just under six minutes remaining in the first half, Donna Liotine sent a pass down the right wing to Hennessy, who beat a defender and angled a shot to the far post. Friends keeper Corey Denihan, who had seven saves, got her hands on the ball but was unable to keep it in front of her as it rolled into the left corner of the goal to break a scoreless tie.

Hennessy added another goal 14 minutes into the second half after breaking free up the middle and scoring on yet another shot that found the net despite being deflected by Denihan.

“Both goals were pretty much breakaways that the goalie almost had but it went past her,” Hennessy said. “It felt really good to put them in. We worked really hard this year and feel like we accomplished something.”

Liotine scored on a free kick from 25 yards with 7:37 remaining in the game to put the finishing touches on Stony Brook’s win. The Bears advance to the regional final to take on the winner of today’s game between S.S. Seward (Section IX) and North Salem (I) at Diamond in the Pines in Coram at 5:30pm Saturday.

“From the first day of practice, I knew I had a lot of talent out there,” Maningo said. “As far as the Long Island championship is concerned, unlike large schools, we don’t have to go through as much brutality in the bracket to make it here. But we are a school of only 300 students. So we go out there, the girls play hard and we put a good product on the field.”

Tuesday, two of those 300 students were instrumental in bringing the Long Island Championship to a Stony Brook School that now stands just three wins away from winning its first State Championship.

When asked what winning that championship would mean to them, Pappas and Hennessy looked at each other and laughed. “History,” Pappas said. “This Stony Brook team would make history.”

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The Bears would go on to win the school’s first New York State Championship by taking down undefeated Saquoit Valley, 2-1, in the final.

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