Senior Keeper Samantha Whitney Earns Athlete of the Week Honors

West Islip senior Samantha Whitney has been solid in net all season for the girls varsity soccer team and that didn't change as they began the Suffolk AA playoffs.  Her performance --aided by great defensive effort all around--  in a 2-0 shutout victory over Sachem North earned her the Patch Athlete of the Week award.

Whitney made six saves in the shutout, which is her 10th on the season. The Lions (8-1-3, 13-1-3) finished the season in second place in League III. The Lions are the defending Long Island Class AA Champions as Whitney, a four-year starter, earned All-County honors in that season.

Head coach Nick Grieco said in the beginning of the season that they would turn to Whitney for leadership and she hasn't let the team down. Back in September, Grieco mentioned the importance of gaining steam around playoff time, and the team has done just that.

"I always tell the girls the season is a marathon," he said. "It's not always how you start the first mile it's how you end the last mile. You can be in the back of the pack in the beginning, but you want to be playing your best soccer going into the playoffs. The last two years we hit our stride in late October into November, so that's been working."

With one playoff victory under their belt and with the month of November now under way, the Lions will look towards Whitney to help continue their success as they head into a huge matchip with the No.13 seed and cross-town rival East Islip Redmen on Wednesday, Nov. 3.