The Jericho Comets, playing at the girls "U12" level in the Long Island Junior Soccer league "State Cup" tournament, have won their first two State Cup matches.

On Sept. 22, the Comets traveled east to Stony Brook where they took on Suffolk County's Stony Brook All Stars. Displaying a tenacious defense led by Alison Neher, Jessica Liss, Michelle Fusco and newcomer Sunmi Oh, the Comets stifled the Stony Brook attack and not only held them scoreless, but limited the All-Stars to two shots on goal in the second half. Keeper Sheri Feigenbaum registered her second shut out of the young season and the Comets utilized their overall team speed and passing skill to control the ball and dominate play in a 3-0 victory. Hannah Rosen (on a penalty kick), Dani Algaze and Lindsey Dubb scored for the Comets while Samantha Falk, Amanda Coron, and Melanie Checkla showed grit and offensive dexterity.

In the State Cup's single elimination format, a win means you play again while a loss means you go home. So the victory over Stony Brook entitled the Comets to move on to the next round where on October 5th, (Homecoming Weekend) they took on the always tough Sachem Lightening at the Jericho High School Field. Jericho had played Sachem in several tournaments in the past, as well as in last year's State Cup (where Sachem eliminated Jericho) so the girls knew that they would be in for a tough, competitive and physical game. They were right about that. But while no one could have expected to see one of the most exciting games in recent memory, that's what they saw.

Jericho and Sachem attacked each other relentlessly for 60 minutes, but neither team would crack. Defender Alex Spector, showing great determination, drove herself time and again into the heart of the Sachem offense, stopping play after play. Michelle Bogdan and Lindsay Talve made important defensive "stops" but the Comets, while dominating play in the offensive zone against their bigger opponents, couldn't score. At the end of regulation time, the score stood Jericho 0, Sachem 0.

State Cup rules require that if the game ends in a tie the teams play two, ten minute periods, to completion, even if a team scores a goal. There is no "sudden death".

The first overtime period was no disappointment as both teams, although nearing exhaustion, kept running up and down the 100 yard field. Finally, with two minutes left in the first overtime period, Sachem put a long shot in the upper right corner of the goal to take a 1-0 lead.

Jericho continued to attack ferociously in the final overtime period but Sachem's staunch defenders wouldn't budge, stopping the Comets' advances and striking the ball back up field where the Comets would "reload" and attack again, but to no avail. As the clock ticked down to three minutes, then two, on the Jericho sideline Rachel Rosner kept repeating "it's never over till it's over. It's never over till it's over."

With 90 seconds left in the second overtime, still behind 1-0 and with nothing left to lose, the Comets moved all of their defenders forward hoping to overwhelm Sachem by force of numbers, but the seconds ticked away. With 40 seconds left in the overtime, Lindsey Dubb stole the ball from Sachem's right fullback and spotted Mollie Rosen free of a defender. A perfectly placed pass put Mollie and Melanie Checkla two on one with Sachem's sweeper who, faced with a tough decision, opted to attack Mollie. Bad choice. Mollie got the ball to Melanie in front of Sachem's goalie who guessed left while Melanie shot right. Goal. Tie.

Did you think that the game was over? Wrong. Now the teams each picked five players for a "Shootout" in which the team with the most goals would be declared the winner.

The Comets lined up with Amanda Coron, Mollie Rosen, Samantha Falk, Melanie Checkla and Hannah Rosen.

Sachem shot first but kicked it right at Goalie Sheri Fiegenbaum for what would be the last "easy" chance that she would have.

Amanda Coron then put the ball in the upper right corner of the net and Jericho took a 1-0 lead. Sachem's next shot was headed for the same spot but Sheri dove and deflected the ball wide. Mollie Rosen was up next for the Comets and struck a bullet over the Sachem keeper's outstretched reach but the crossbar did the goalie's work for her and deflected the ball. Still 1-0.

Sachem's third kicker hit a low shot in the left corner but miraculously, Sheri got a hand on this one also and it was knocked wide again. Now it was Samantha Falk's turn. She calmly approached the ball, but looked to her right (perhaps getting the Sachem goalie to lean to her left) and then crossed the ball into the opposite corner of the Net. Jericho 2, Sachem 0.

Now Sachem had only two kickers left. Both would have to score, with no more Jericho goals, for Sachem to tie. Their fourth Kicker blasted a laser for the right corner but, again Sheri was there (although it took a dive to reach the necessary spot). Game over - Comets win! The Comets next State Cup game will be held at 3:40 on Sunday, October 20th , at Harbor Links Field in Roslyn against the Port Washington Scorpions.