The Garden City U-11 girl's Force came home from Plainedge with a well earned 2-0 victory this past Saturday to bring their season record to 3-1-2. The game may have started cold and blustery, but the Force came out hot and dictated the action right from the opening whistle. The Plainedge Hotshots' keeper had all she could handle right from the start, turning away an offensive onslaught including shots from Katie Gillan and Janine Schwendemann. The Force kept the Hotshots pinned in their own zone for most of the first half and moved the ball crisply and intelligently setting up multiple scoring chances. Just when it seemed as if the Hotshots keeper was going to keep the Force frustrated and scoreless all game, Catherine Honan buried a shot to take a 1-0 lead late in the first half.

The second half was a continuation of the first, with the Force dominating the pace and direction of play and the Hotshot keeper turning aside shot after shot, including a point blank laser from the foot of Caroline Kenny. Alicia Cristoforo came out of the nets in the second half and kept the offense going with some gritty play at midfield. The Hotshots had a few rushes early in the second half, but were turned aside by the defensive wall of Annie Randazzo, Kerry McCarraher Erin Pasquale. The few shots that did get through were turned aside by the Force's keeper Maddie McCabe who continues to slam the door shut in the second half.

While the Force largely dominated the game, the 1-0 score midway through the second half told a different tale. One bounce either way and this game could change on a dime. Thankfully, the bounce came the Force's way when Annie Walsh fought through the Hotshot defenders and ripped a shot past the diving keeper to put the Force up 2-0. Later in the second, forward Lizzie Rieger fought hard to keep the ball alive in the Hotshot defensive zone. A subsequent handball in the box sent Lizzie to the line for her first penalty kick. Force teammates and parents held their breath and shouted encouragement as Lizzie blasted her shot towards the Hotshot keeper. A great save kept the score at 2-0, but that was all the Force would need as they ran out the clock and headed back to Garden City with a hard fought victory and some great momentum heading into the Memorial Day tournament.