The community came out in force to celebrate the legacy of beloved girls soccer coach Adrian Gilmore during the district’s inaugural Gilmore Game, held on Sept. 27 against William Floyd High School.  

Adrian Gilmore, who passed away in April, coached the Wildcats for 14 seasons and led the team to six Suffolk Class A titles, three Long Island Class A championships and a state Class A title while winning 165 games. In essence, she turned the girls soccer team into a powerhouse team, guiding the student-athletes to a state Class A semifinal after having won their second consecutive Long Island Class A title las fall.  

Before the game, members of the girls soccer team held a Gilmore Game banner and walked onto the field alongside members of the Gilmore family and the William Floyd team.  

Daughter Kayla Gilmore, who is currently in her sophomore year playing for the Maryland women’s lacrosse team, was on hand to speak about her mother and the coach she knew her to be.  

“Somehow she knew how to bring out the very best in me, and she did the same thing for her players,” Kayla said. “She wanted her players to be strong, confident women and she showed them how to do that. That’s the culture she built here [at Shoreham-Wading River].  

Head coach Lydia Kessel spoke about Adrian Gilmore’s legacy in the way her team continues to play in her memory. “What is comforting to know is that her [Adrian Gilmore’s] legacy lives on in the players she coached, in the lessons she taught and in the love she had for this program,” Ms. Kessel said. “Even though she is no longer here, she is still guiding us.”  

Ms. Gilmore’s guidance was evident in the way the Wildcats secured a 5-1 victory over William Floyd in the non-league game. The boys soccer team followed with a 1-0 victory over Garden City later that afternoon.