Pearl River Girls Soccer Falls in OT

Pearl River's 3-2 overtime loss at home to North Rockland Wednesday left Head Coach Tim Peabody thinking of missed opportunities.

"Really, we should have scored more goals," Peabody said. "To me, taht is the main issue. We could have scored four goals and it would have never been an issue."

North Rockland sophomore goalkeeper Shannon Robinson played a part in that. Peabody said she was a Division I prospect and she showed it with her eight saves Wednesday, including a spectacular leaping stop of a shot by Pearl River sophomore Samantha Alicandri less than two minutes into overtime.

"I wasn't thinking," Robinson said of the play. "When I don't think, I do well."

"What a great shot that was," Peabody said. "I think she made some really nice saves in goal that if we had scored, it would have changed the complexion of the game. We needed some momentum and we didn't get it."

Peabody said he had his team play aggressively in the overtime periods and North Rockland took advantage when Taylor Aylmer got behind the Pirates' defense in transition and put a shot over Pearl River goalkeeper Francesca Cobuzzi for the game-winning score.

"I pushed everybody up to try to get a goal," Peabody said. "That can be seen as taking too many risks in a 2-2 game. I could second-guess myself and say we could ahve stayed back and played for a tie, but I thought the kids played well enough to win.

"What I told them is there is a small margin for error playing against a good team. We made two mistakes on two of the goals that you just can't make. Back passes that went the wrong way."

Cobuzzi initially came out to challenge Aylmer on the game-winning goal, then retreated. She was able to tip the shot, but not stop it.

"She made the right decision to come out and second-guessed herself," Peabody said.

Aylmer also set up both of North Rockland's goals in regulation, with Erin Riley scoring both times. Her first came with 4:11 remaining in the first half.

Pearl River finally broke through and tied the game when Marissa Scognamiglio beat Robinson on a penalty kick with 28:12 remaining in the second half.

Pearl River had chances to take the lead, but Robinson came up with a sliding stop to deny a shot by Lauren Gallagher with 17:45 left.

Riley gave the Raiders the lead back, scoring in transition with 10:58 remaiing in the game.

Pearl River missed the net on at least three shots while trying to rally before Kiera McMullan drove a shot past Robinson on a direct kick with 3:30 left to tie the game at 2-2.

The North Rockland coaches and players complained loudly about the officiating, specifically the penalty kick for Scognamiglio and the direct kick for McMullan.

"There's really nothing we can do about the bad calls," Riley said. "We just had to keep our heads in the game and keep pushing."

Pearl River played much of the game without one of its top players, senior Brynn Moynihan, who has been sick recently.

"She was about 70 percent of what she's capable," Peabody said. "I thought it was better if I just take her out and not risk her being completely knocked out for a week."

North Rockland improved to 3-1 on the season. Pearl River fell to 3-2 heading into Saturday's 11 a.m. game at Haldane.