Finley Girls’ Soccer-Blue Comes Together

The J. Taylor Finley Middle School girls’ soccer “blue” team came together over the course of the season to form a competitive group that featured some highly skilled players.

The 21-player squad was coached by Huntington High School physical education teacher Shea Scully. The team practiced and played its games on the Finley sod field behind the school.

Bella Duke led the team from her center midfield position. “ I have had the pleasure of coaching Bella for the past two years, watching her develop into an amazing soccer player and young woman,” Scully said. “She exudes confidence and positivity every single day. Her skills and sense of leadership is unmatched and I cannot wait to see the impact she will have at the high school level.

This year’s team included 15 first year players. It took time for the players to come together as one cohesive unit, but once they did, Finley “blue” started to shine.

Seventh grader Brianna Purcell starred in goal for the team. “Brianna is a fearless goaltender who doesn’t think twice about stepping out of the goal box to challenge an approaching opponent,” Scully said. “She started the season with an injury, but after a speedy recovery she didn’t waste any time to make a huge impact on and off the field.”

Finley’s roster included 14 seventh graders and seven eighth graders. It was a young team that faced challenges against more experienced opponents, but it was also a team with exceptional potential.

Seventh grade sweeper Kaitlyn Purcell was still another standout. “Kaitlyn led our defense in the sweeper position for most of the season and proved to be a force to be reckoned with if any opponent tried to approach the goal.”

Finley played two games each against North Babylon and Commack’s two teams and single games against Elwood, Northport, East Northport, Kings Park and Hauppauge.

“Our biggest accomplishment this season was how we developed as a whole,” Scully said. “We are a totally different team now than when we started the season. The girls really learned how to work together and were able to build their skills throughout the season, making us a solid team to compete with.”

All things considered, the coach was upbeat about her team. “Watching this team develop into a cohesive unit over the past couple of months has been a pleasure, to say the least,” Scully said. “I am extremely proud of each and every one of the players and the commitment they showed each and every day to become the best version of themselves.”

Looking ahead to next fall, Finley should field a very competitive team considering the abundance of seventh graders on this year’s roster.

“We are losing some key players next year as they move on to the high school, leaving some big shoes to be filled,” Scully said. “I am confident that our seventh graders will step up to the plate to fill those positions. We do have a handful of beginner players that I hope return next year to continue to improve their skills and contribute to the team’s success going forward.”