By Five Boro Sports
Brittany Dombrowski remembers the pain all too well. She remembers walking off the field at Alley Pond Park last year following an emotionally draining overtime loss to rival The Mary Louis Academy in the NSCHSGAA ‘A’ championship game.
Back in the title game Wednesday afternoon, back at Alley Pond Park, back on the field against the Hilltoppers, Dombrowski and her teammates on the Archbishop Molloy girls’ soccer team were determined not to have history repeat itself.
“They had it in the back of their minds that no matter what, they were not going to go through that again, to the same team, at the same place, all over again,” Molloy coach Lauren Spota said. “Having that memory made them go that extra step to the ball and pushed them to the win today.”
And it was Dombrowski doing the pushing. With her team trailing 1−0, the senior took the team on her shoulders and scored back−to−back goals in a six−minute span early in the second half to put the Stanners in front, 2−1. That was the eventual final score, earning Molloy its second title in three seasons.
“I think Brittney was like, ‘I’m not losing this game, that’s it,’ and if she had to do it herself and play 1 vs. 11, I think she would have done that at that point,” Spota said. “She gets everyone behind her.”
Indeed, Dombrowski didn’t want to end another season with a loss, especially in her final high−school game.
“We didn’t want to lose,” Dombrowski said. “We lost our first three years so we really wanted to finish with a win. All the seniors just stepped up their game.”
Four minutes into the second half, Mary Louis’ Kathy Gualotuna had a golden opportunity to put her team in front when she stepped to the spot after Molloy was called for a hand ball in the box. But the star midfielder stutter−stepped before having her attempt saved by Chelsea Wynne, who dived to her left.
“I just psyched myself out,” said Gualotuna, who will play at either Iona or Sacred Heart next year. “It was a mistake.”
“Once she saved that,” Dombrowski said, “we knew we were still in it.”
The Hilltoppers still took the lead two minutes later when Justine Kinsky put the ball inside the far post from the edge of the 18−yard box. It was the first time Mary Louis led against Molloy in three meetings this season.
“I guess after that first goal we thought we had it, and everyone just started slowing up and we didn’t keep it up,” said Mary Louis star midfielder Shannon Meara, who will play at Iona College next year.
Three minutes later, Dombrowski scored her first when she turned around a pair of defenders and put a shot on goal that deflected off the hands of sophomore goalkeeper Ariana Galluscio and into the net to tie the score at 1.
Galluscio made up for the mistake, robbing Kyra Meli from point−blank range, and then saving Dombrowski’s tap−in attempt.
But in the 53rd minute, Dombrowski was played behind the Mary Louis defense and her breakaway attempt from the top of the 18−yard box also went off of Galluscio’s hands and rolled into the net.
“It’s great,” Dombrowski said, “to finish this way.”
