BY ADAM RONIS
An exciting finish to the Smithtown East-Northport girls soccer Suffolk Class AA first-round game on Monday was marred by officials mistakes. Northport won 8-7 on penalty kicks, but it should have never got to that point.
The rule is each team gets five penalty kicks in the first round following two 10-minute overtimes and two sudden death five-minute overtimes. Northport and Smithtown East were tied at 4 after the first round of penalty kicks. After that, it's basically sudden death, but the team's get to match each other. So, in this game Northport shot first and missed. Then, Smithtown East scored to make it 5-4 and the game should have ended right there with Smithtown East as the winner.
But the officials went by the wrong set of rules and allowed the second round to be played like the first and Northport scored on its next four kicks. Smithtown East couldn't score on its last kick and lost, 8-7.
The officials also made two other mistakes. They said only players on the field during the final five-minute overtime were eligible to take the penalty kicks. Any player on the roster can take the kick. The officials also did a coin toss twice, once before the first set of penalty kicks and another, before the second round. Only one coin toss before the first round should have been done.
It's a tough break for Smithtown East. For more on the story and quotes from the parties involved, check out Newsday tomorrow.