by Tony Spota

The Babylon Lady Panthers and the Harborfields Tornadoes met on Saturday, September 28, in a scoreless soccer thriller. Babylon’s relentless attack was met by Harborfields super keeper, Brandi Daniels.

The Panthers controlled the ball through most of the contest and continued to pepper the goal with blasts from everywhere. Strikers Sheena Mendez, Carly Vogel and Jill O’Callaghan and left wing Lisa Burbige fired shot after shot at Daniels, who chalked up 30 saves. Babylon keeper Alex Walters had four as each earned a shutout.

The Panthers defense (the Schmid Grid) throttled every Tornado thrust before it could penetrate. Sweeper Kirsten Schmid and fullbacks Katie Marmo and Krystine Van Rossem were way too much for Harborfields.

The Tornado defense was penetrable, but Daniels kept the Panthers from finding the net. Harborfields had defender Jessica Finley hounding Burbige throughout. It seemed as soon as she got off the bus, Finley stuck to the Babylon gunner. But Burbige repeatedly broke free and gave the Harborfields D all kinds of trouble. She fired one at Daniels from outside the big box in the thirteenth minute, only to be stopped by a great save. Vogel fired the rebound in at point blank and Daniels saved again. Ten minutes later, Burbige crossed from the left and Daniels stopped another tandem from Vogel and O’Callaghan. Late in the game, Daniels came out to meet Mendez on a breakaway and forced a shot from ten yards in front to go inches wide of the left upright. Play continued through two ten minute overtime periods before the final whistle.

Babylon’s overall record went to 5-0-1 and Harborfields went to 3-2-1. In the five previous games this season, Burbige scored an amazing twelve goals extending her Babylon career scoring record to 58. She’s also set a new assist record for the school with her nineteenth. Prior to the season, Burbige had been tied at eighteen with Jamie Gonzalez (Class of 2001).