The goal was golden, just not for Chris Golden — or his Mattituck/Southold/Greenport girls soccer team.
Babylon sophomore Shayden Kenedy finished off a right-wing service from Natalia Lutz with nine seconds left in the first overtime period for a 3-2 sudden victory in MSG’s home opener Wednesday at Mattituck High School.
The non-league game required overtime because of Olivia Zehil’s equalizer for MSG with 4:10 remaining in the second half. Mei Reilly supplied a long ball for Zehil to latch onto before laying it into an open net for her second goal in as many games.
MSG (1-1) had scored first through Cameron Stanton 15:34 into the match. Babylon (2-1) failed to clear the ball after a header by MSG’s Casey Dickerson. Allison Heidtmann got a touch on the ball before Stanton fired in her fourth goal of the young season. The junior forward had bagged a hat trick in MSG’s season-opening 5-4 win over Riverhead Aug. 29.
Babylon pulled even 3:12 before halftime when Ashley Bell converted a penalty kick.
The Panthers surged ahead on Sofia DeSa’s 20-yard free kick that flew over the defensive wall and beat goalkeeper Haylie Dickerson at 56:50.
Babylon goalkeeper Ava Hanson made the save of the day not long after that, backpedaling and parrying a left-footed toe poke by Reece McKenna over the crossbar for a corner kick.
While trailing 1-0, Babylon failed to capitalize on a pair of golden scoring opportunities within split seconds of each other. Hailey Lassen was on the doorstep, only to be denied by a Haylie Dickerson save and then a block by Heidtmann.
Moments later, MSG came within inches of a goal, McKenna meeting a cross with a right-footed attempt that skimmed off the crossbar.
In overtime, Lutz played a ball down the right wing for the racing Bell. Bell, however, pulled her extreme-angle shot wide left.
MSG played without midfielder Page Kellershon on the field. The freshman injured her right ankle during the Riverhead game and was on the sideline with crutches and her right foot in a plastic boot. She said she needs to undergo an MRI.