West Islip High School is giving Patch an increasingly difficult task of choosing the Player of the Week. While there were extraordinairy efforts all around the sports landscape this past week, one player deomonstrated fearlessness and leadership, and stood out amongst the rest.
Amanda Martinez, Jr., girls soccer
A few West Islip teams got off to hot starts in their games this week. QB Anthony Santo hit WR Andrew Federico for a 55-yard touchdown pass on the Lions' first play from scrimmage against Copiague, which led to a 28-7 victory.
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But it was Martinez who delivered the biggest blow in the early moments of the girls soccer game against Lindenhurst. At the 38:20 mark in the first half, Martinez recorded her first goal; she slipped a rebound passed the keeper.
. And then, Martizez launched a long, arching kick that sailed right past the keeper for her third goal. A hat trick before the game was five minutes old.
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The team wound up cruising to a 4-0 victory, and is off to a 4-0 start to the season.
"She was a strong player last year but she's just a great athlete," assistant coach Jim Albert said of Martinez after the game. "When she steps out on the field, she puts her athletic ability to use. Not a lot of analysis there, she just plays."
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