Flash Shut Out Albertson

Katie Muldoon crosses the ball."

On September 20, the Garden City Flash remained undefeated, beating the Albertson Strykers 6-0 at iPark. Friday's heavy rains left the field swampy at game time Saturday morning, but the poor conditions didn't seem to bother the Flash, who raced to an early lead. Right wing Katie Muldoon took a throw in from Grace Cameron and slid a square ball to Katherine Galzerano in the middle of the field. Katherine quickly moved the ball across to left wing Julia McGuire, who slotted the ball into the far corner to put the Flash in front. The girls doubled the lead a few moments later, when Julia raced down the left wing before delivering a cross into the box. In the marshy conditions, the ball skipped past the Albertson goalie and almost eluded Katie Muldoon at the far post, but she adjusted nicely and belted the ball low into the right hand corner before the keeper could recover. Central defender Kerry Defliese then did what she seems to do every week jump on a poor clearance and score unassisted making it 3-0 Flash. Later in the half, Kerry delivered a solid feed to left wing Nicole Derby, who stepped to the inside and drilled a right-footed shot in at the near post. While the Flash would not score again in the first half, they moved the ball extremely well and, mindful of the slippery conditions, bombarded the Albertson goal with long range efforts, forcing the Strykers' goalie to make five or six fine saves. By the end of the half, she was dripping wet, covered in mud and looked faintly like she played line for Lombardi.

Julia McGuire beats her defender.

The Flash regained their scoring touch early in the second half when Grace released Emily O'Neill down the right wing. Emily sprinted past the defense and delivered a high, hard ball from an acute angle. The goalie, who had been sure-handed in the first half, could not control the effort and watched as it fell into the net for a 5-0 lead. A few moments later, Emily cut the ball back to center forward Nicole Leto at the top of the box. Nicole received the ball well and delivered a hard shot that the goalie did well to stop. With a sizeable cushion, the Flash focused on possession, stringing together four and five passes at a time to move the ball around the field. In one of these passages, Kerry moved the ball from center defense out to Nicole Derby on the right. Nicole took a touch and then delivered the ball up the wing to Michaela Bruno, who dribbled around a defender or two and finished to provide the ultimate margin of victory.

Isabel Klatt and Grace Cameron keyed another solid defensive effort for the team. The Flash's goal was rarely threatened and, as a result, keepers Emily O'Neill and Katie Muldoon stayed clean and dry.

The Flash will look to stay atop the division next Saturday at St. Paul's against second place Port Washington. Go Flash!