Manhasset senior forward Maddie Takahashi takes a shot during the Nov. 5 Class B county title game vs. Garden City. Photo credit: Juan Stanek.
It was a game their head coach called “one of the best high school games you could ever see.”
For 60 minutes, the Manhasset field hockey team battled longtime nemesis Garden City in the Class B finals on Tuesday.
The Trojans had the upper hand at times, but the veteran Set team kept the game scoreless all the way through, and more time was needed to declare a winner.
Before overtime, senior captain Lily Acerra and her fellow vets talked to the team.
“We just said ‘we got this, nothing to be stressed about,’” Acerra said. “Take it one play at a time and we’ll get our chances.”
Manhasset did have its chances, but in the end the Trojans put theirs in. A quick shot by Garden City’s Grace Brantuk off a corner with only 20 seconds left in the first overtime sent Garden City into the Long Island championship game, and sent Manhasset home.
It was the fourth straight season that Manhasset’s season ended at the hands of Garden City, and the last two years have been by a 1-0 score.
“My girls played their hearts out; we haven’t played a better game all season,” Manhasset coach Danielle Groneman said. “We weathered their storm, and it went back and forth. We had three good chances in OT, we were so close.”
Manhasset (11-6) had played Garden City twice previously this season, losing 2-0 and 4-1, but recent history said that that wasn’t a deterrent; in 2023 Manhasset beat Garden City twice in the regular season, then won the playoff match.
Manhasset had been on a real roll coming into the title game; after some early season struggles that saw it lose five games before October, it didn’t lose to a Nassau County team again until Tuesday, winning six of seven.
Groneman said the big difference was a bit of a change in offensive philosophy to attack more and simplify the game plan, but also that the many new starters needed time to gel.
Manhasset lost seven starters from last season’s team that went to the county finals.
“We just needed some time to learn from each other and everyone get used to their roles,” Groneman said. “Since we lost all those games at the start, we’ve been much better, passing and attacking.”
Acerra and fellow senior Sofia Scalzo led the way; Acerra, headed to Trinity (Conn.) College to play lacrosse, scored nine goals and had seven assists in 2024, while Scalzo chipped in five goals and eight assists (she’s going to Gettysburg College in Pa.).
“Lily is a bull, the heart and soul of our team,” Groneman said. “And Sofia just has so much skill, and makes the other players around her better.”
Acerra said she felt Manhasset played a much better game against Garden City Tuesday, and thought until the end her team was going to win.
Garden City was awarded seven corners in the title match, while Manhasset had none.
“After they scored it was like “this isn’t real, it’s not over,’” Acerra said. “We just felt like we had the momentum and were going to score.”
For Groneman, the future looks bright as a crop of young freshmen and sophomores who shone this season, including freshman goalie Annie Spina, freshman forward Chloe Tolentino and sophomore forward Lauren Kim, all will be returning.
“We had a great season overall, and our 11 seniors all gave us everything,” Groneman said. “We have a bunch of freshman who are going to lead us next year, so I told them to keep their heads up, we’ll be right back at them next season.”