Kendall Alexander and Paige Vincent work the ball out of trouble The girls came into this weekend knowing that they were facing two tough competitors. On Saturday, they faced division rival of the past three seasons the Mineola Mongoose. And then they had to come back on Sunday morning and line up against the Sachem Power in a State Cup quarterfinal match. Both games were hard fought right down to the last minute of the match and the Fireballs prevailed in league play but fell out of the State Cup. The girls were 2-0 victors in the game against the Mongoose, but suffered a heart breaking loss in the State Cup match on penalty kicks.

Christina Cesarini is first to the loose ball The game on Saturday was played in somewhat tough conditions as the weather kept the field wet and the ball heavy. But the Fireballs were able to put together enough fire power in the second half to overcome a scoreless first half and win the game. The first half was played a majority of the time in the middle of the field with any runs to the goal being stopped by solid defenses. The Fireballs stood firm at the midfield circle and did not allow the Mongoose to penetrate the 18 yard line. With backs Paige Vincent, Shannon McWilliams and Michelle Rotondo, as well as stoppers Christine Malhame, Maria Danza and Adair Alexander fighting for every 50-50 ball and contesting each Mongoose attack. Keeper Joanna Matuza came out a couple of times to collect a few long balls but immediately turned them into Fireball counterattacks with some strong punts.

Kim Verderber and Courtney Chmil contain the attack The second half of the game saw the Fireballs open up their attack and continually pressured the Mongoose deep into their defensive area. Stepping up in the midfield Courtney Chmil, Christina Cesarini, Kendall Alexander and Megan Walsh seemed to be on every ball. Working the ball deep into the corners and along the sidelines, Courtney and Kendall put forwards Liz McDougal and Kim Verderber into good scoring position, only to be stopped on several good chances by the Mineola keeper. The Fireballs finally broke through as Christina was able to chip a loose ball at the 18 yard line over the outstretched hands of the keeper. Maintaining pressure on the ball, the Fireballs created another scoring opportunity several minutes later as Alex Rooney and Alexa Kentfield worked the ball on the left sideline. Alexa made a terrific turn with the ball on the sideline and put a perfect through ball to Kim Verderber. Kim calmly gathered the ball in and made a run at the goal to deposit the ball into the net with a nice left foot. As the game wound down the Fireballs kept possession of the ball and walked off with a nice 2-0 victory.

Shannon McWilliams with some tough defense. On Sunday the girls came back onto the pitch to play in the quarterfinals of the State Cup. The game was out at Sachem and promised to be a tough one right from the start. And it didn’t disappoint. That is, other than the final outcome. Taking the game through two scoreless overtimes the Fireballs were faced with deciding the game on penalty kicks. A tough way to decide such a well played game, but there has to be a winner to move on to the next round and that will be Sachem - this year. The girls now can appreciate their victory last season in the Cup and how hard it is to come out on top.

Megan Walsh carries through the midfield The game itself was an even match in the first half that saw both squads getting their chances at the goal. But on both sides of the field there were two very good keepers that were determined to keep the match scoreless. Joanna Matuza came up with several good saves and a terrific reaction save on a one touch shot directly in front of her from the 6 yard line. The Fireball’s opportunities came on great runs down the sideline by the midfielders and some terrific crosses. The best chance of the half came as Courtney Chmil just fired over the cross bar as the Power keeper came out and challenged her. GC continued to push the ball up the field as Christine Malhame, Christina Cesarini and Courtney fought for every ball. The first half also had chances by Liz McDougal, Kendall Alexander and Kim Verderber getting stopped by the keeper.

Continuing to work hard throughout the second half, the Fireballs managed to shift the game to their advantage and maintained control of much of the play. But it appeared that the Sachem team was content with keeping the game scoreless and packed in their defense. The second half had opportunities off the feet of Christina Cesarini and Maria Danza that just went wide of their mark. But once again, with so many bodies in the box and a good keeper, the game remained scoreless through regulation time. The Fireballs managed to keep the ball in the offensive side of the field as Christine and Michelle Rotondo stepped up to challenge the attacks through the middle and Paige Vincent and Shannon McWilliams pinched in from the outside.

The two overtime periods were dominated by the Fireballs as their conditioning was showing to be the difference. They continually got to loose balls and pushed the ball forward, fighting to get that ‘golden goal’. The determination and heart of this team will never be questioned by the folks that came out to watch this match, as the Fireballs were relentless for 80 minutes of fast paced action. And as coach Malhame said after the match, ‘they left everything they had on the field’. So having nothing to be disappointed about, the girls had the afternoon to themselves and their Halloween treats. Tomorrow the Fireballs face division rival Albertson out at the Soccer Park in a 9 AM game. Good luck girls!