Bronx Science and Beacon added another chapter to their already fierce rivalry while vying for the PSAL Class A girls’ soccer title for the fifth straight season.
The game would need almost every minute of regulation time to be decided as both team’s battled start to finish. For the second straight year it was Beacon that came out on time. Emily Mendes’ 74th minute goal was enough to give No.2- seeded Beacon a 2-1 victory over Bronx Science last Sunday on Randall’s Island. It is Beacon’s fourth crown in the last five years. The Blue Demons won last seasons final in penalty kicks.
“It always comes down to the last few minutes with Beacon,” Bronx Science coach Annie Eckstein said. “It was the same story today.”
The loss to Beacon was tough for Bronx Science. It ended what was an undefeated season for the Wolverines, that including a regular season win and a tie with Beacon.
“This was a heartbreaking way to end,” senior captain Sydney Shulman said. “ I wished it hadn’t come down to that. We played our hearts out today and I’m not upset by it. I don’t think there was not anyone on that field not working their hardest. “
The game and the first half seemed to be all Beacon. Freshman Layla Devlin got the Manhattan school on the board in the 5th minute to make it 1-0. Beacon controlled possession for most of the first half as Bronx Science wouldn’t give the Beacon keeper much work in the first half/.
Bronx Science came out and played fast on both sides of the ball after the break. In the 61st minute junior Lydia Wiener would tally her third goal of the season against Beacon to tie the score at 1-1.
“Lydia has always been the go to scorer for us,” Shulman said.
In the games last few minutes Beacon seemed to keep driving towards the net and had a few missed opportunities. But in the 74th minute Mendes, on what seemed to be an attempt at a cross, found the net and ended Bronx Science’s attempt at reclaiming another city title.
“I’m proud of the way we played,” Eckstein said. “We were down and we came back. We fought hard.”
This was the third match-up of the season between he two. Bronx Science won 3-1 in the first meeting and earned a 1-1 tie the second time around.
“The first time we played them [Beacon], they weren’t expecting us to be as good as we were,” Shulman said. “The second time around we came in a little over confident and they came in upset. But, I’m still very happy with our season.”
This Bronx Science team had six seniors, four of which were on varsity all four season of their high school careers. Eckstein, who is in her fourth season, feels a special bond with this outgoing group and a respect for all they accomplished.
“I couldn’t be prouder of the work they put in,” Eckstein said. “I feel a real connection with them [the seniors]. I wish it could have ended with a championship for them.”
