SWR girls soccer loses annual memorial game but fundraising and playoff surge continue

It’s been two years since former Shoreham-Wading River teacher and girls varsity soccer coach Adrian Gilmore passed suddenly and tragically. The second annual Adrian Gilmore game on Monday at Thomas Cutinella Memorial Field brought back all those core memories.

“This game is so important to our program,” SWR head coach Lydia Kessel said. “We are honoring the coach that we all loved and admired but eventually there’s going to be girls in the program that were never coached by her and it’s important for us to keep her traditions and memory alive.”

One of those ways was to give a player on the team the No. 7 jersey. As her daughter Kayla said before the game in a ceremony, her mom wore that number growing up and everybody wearing that number going forward has to embody everything she believed in: competitiveness, speed, tireless effort, positivity and love for the team. 

This year’s recipient is Alexis Cordano and she did everything she could to pull through a win, running the ball down the sidelines, crossing it in the box, taking corners, but ultimately the Wildcats fell short against Babylon, 1-0 after surrendering a penalty shot in the second half.

“Yeah it stinks because we really wanted to win today,” Kessel said. “But the heart, the effort, it was there. We dominated and we were really pressing forward at all times. But they’re a tough coached team with a great defense and we just couldn’t finish the chances we got. It’s been our story all year so far but I feel like the best is ahead of us.”

Fundraising efforts throughout the day went toward the Adrian Weger Gilmore Foundation, which supports families in their hardest moments, something that Gilmore always held dear to her heart. 

The loss dropped SWR to 9-4 in Division III play but, the team is still very much in the thick of the playoff race. The Wildcats have shown the ability to score as many as six goals in a game multiple times but have lost 1-0 in all four of their losses.

“We’re looking for our crafty players to make the difference in those close games and I know they will,” Kessel said. “Brenna Molinelli and Cordano we look to them to do a lot in our offense and the more they do, the more it opens up other opportunities.

“We’re working our counters and can push forward when needed. We trust our defense and that’s a big part of what we’re able to do on offense.”

The Wildcats graduated two top dynamic players in Mia Mangano and Olivia Pesso last season and it’s been a challenge to fill the void. Both went on to play collegiate soccer. 

Molinelli has registered 10 goals and three assists so far this season. Cordano has scored six goals and collected six assists. SWR has also gotten goals from Stamatia Almiroudis (5), Ella Nowaski (4) and Shealyn Varbero (2) and they’ll continue to rely on those players when it’s crunch time and a goal is needed.

SWR has two games remaining on the schedule that will help playoff seeding should they win both.

“Seeding is out of our control,” Kessel said. “We had a big win against Sayville and close games in our other games against top opponents. We will see but we’ll be more than likely on the road and we’re ok with that. We’re ready to lock in and we’re continuing to develop.”