Controversial call dooms Forest Hills in first ever ‘B’ semifinal

Robert Sprance will remember this Forest Hills girls soccer team as the greatest one he coached in 18 seasons. He will look back at their Queens B-IV division crown and Kiwanis Cup title, as a mix of seniors and underclassmen that excelled together.
Unfortunately, he will also remember the call referee John Leavy made that ultimately ended the Rangers’ dream season, a 2-1 loss to No. 4 Lincoln at James Madison in Brooklyn.
Tied at one in the PSAL Class B semifinals, top-seeded Forest Hills’ first ever appearance that far, Elizabeth Cofreci was whistled for a foul Leavy ruled was inside the 18-foot goalkeeper’s box, and thus awarded the Railsplitters a penalty shot in the 72nd minute.
Junior Anna Kay Lawrence beat freshman Julia Svitsky, who replaced keeper Beth Grupsmith in goal for the penalty kick because her 5-foot-10 frame covered more of the net, to the far corner, the difference in a match that looked to be ticketed for extra time.
“If we didn’t have bad luck, we wouldn’t have any luck,” Sprance said. “Eight minutes to go, you put the ball at the top of the box.”
“I didn’t really see anything happen,” freshman Carolanne Cazares added. “I don’t think it was fair.”
That wasn’t the only break that didn’t go the Rangers’ way. Lincoln went ahead on an own-goal when it appeared Cofreci, marking Lawrence, accidentally put the ball in for the Railsplitters in the 29th minute. After Cazares evened the game off a set piece in the 37th minute, Forest Hills proceeded to whiff on three golden scoring opportunities in the second half.
“That’s the part that really hurts,” Sprance said.
“We had so many chances and we just didn’t finish it,” Cazares said. “We should’ve won; we dominated the game.”
The future remains bright for the Rangers. Despite graduating seven seniors, including elite midfielder Nathalie Arias and Grupsmith, the keeper, they return burgeoning stars Svitsky and Cazares. Of course, the promising horizon was of little consolation to the teary-eyed Rangers.
“We’ll be strong next year, too,” Sprance said. “But the idea is to fulfill your potential. We should have been in the finals.”