Porters fall short in first home game

Andrew Belt-Cappellino battles it out for possession with support from Adam Thilberg, number 17.

The combined Shelter Island/Greenport junior varsity soccer team had a tough time fending off some well-placed shots from Hampton Bays on Tuesday, September 15 in a hard-fought 5-1 loss on Greenport’s home turf. The two teams were fairly well-matched and both teams put plenty of shots on goal, but in the end Hampton Bays did a better job of making those shots count.


Hampton Bays started the game off with some close-call shots in the first half, hitting or skimming the post repeatedly. The first goal finally sneaked in when number 10 of Hampton Bays charged it past the goalie and knocked it into an open net for an easy goal. He was subsequently red-carded when he took his jersey off and swung it around his head in celebration. Shelter Island/Greenport quickly answered back when Andrew Simone brought the ball through a pack of defenders and took it in for the goal.


That would be the end of scoring for the Porters, however, and well-placed shots by Hampton Bays in the second half proved difficult to block. A penalty kick by Hampton Bays sailed over the Porters defensive wall into the top right corner of the goal, leaving the goalie with little chance to defend. Coach Tom Taylor comforted his team, saying, “There’s nothing you can do about that, that was one of the best shots I’ve seen in JV soccer.” 


But the Porters still fought hard, making plenty of attempts on net and forcing the opposing goalie to make 14 saves. The strong field presence of Shelter Island was apparent — every shot on goal, except for Simone’s goal, was from a Shelter Island player. Co-captain Andrew Belt-Cappellino put six shots on goal and Lennon Sarfati fired five. Jim Read put two on goal, and Alex Graffagnino one.


“We had moments of what we wanted to do and then moments when we made really foolish mistakes and paid the price,” said Shelter Island/Greenport coach Tom Taylor. “The end result wasn’t what I wanted but they’re playing better together as a team,” he said, later adding “They started to move the ball around together a whole lot better than in the past.”


Having a team composed of players from two different schools was “tough” the first year, he said, because the kids didn’t know each other, but this being the third year of the joint team the kids know each other better so “it’s not a big deal.” 


The logistical difficulties are still there, though, since some players take different buses and arrive at different times. “Other than that it’s fine,” he said. 


Taylor noted, “We’re learning a lot.” They must be — Shelter Island/Greenport won 4-0 in the following game on September 17 at Port Jefferson.


Hopefully the Porters kept up the streak against Pierson/Bridgehampton on Wednesday, September 23 at 4:30 p.m. — the results came out after the Reporter went to press. Their next game is against Stony Brook on October 1 at 4:30 p.m. at Greenport.