BOYS

Open Boys U-18: Middle Country Rough Riders 3, Ramapo Valley Tornadoes 2

LA GRANGE, N.Y. -- Middle Country S.C. has won Challenge Cup titles before, but never an Open Cup championship.

But that is now history because the Long Island Junior Soccer League club made some history as the Middle Country Rough Riders overcame the Ramapo Valley Tornadoes in extratime to capture the Boys Under-18 crown at Stringham Park.

"It's a big accomplishment for Middle Country by far," assistant coach Richard Santopiertro said. "It's a team that digs down deep and pulls out wins. It's not amazing. Its tough to put into words. It's just a team that plays with heart. There's no one really out there who are superstars. Just a bunch of good kids with a lot of talent and plays as a team."

Cody Kaczetow converted a penalty kick four minutes into the second extratime to snap a 2-2 deadlock.

Matt Naboka scored the Rough Riders' first goal 30 yards out. After the Tornadoes tied it Bobby Williamson struck for the second one for Middle Country. Ramapo Valley equalized in the second half to push the game into extratime.

"We never gave up the lead," coach Jim Frey said. "It was a well-fought game by both teams. It was very evenly matched. Our boys just dug down deep as they did every game and pulled it out."

The Rough Riders enjoyed quite a season, winning the Eastern New York President's League with an undefeated record.

"These kids get along so well on and off the field," Frey said. "They're just great friends. Once they join the team and roster them, these kids embrace them as their friends on and off the field. Even the new additions, it's like they've known them forever."

Open Cup Boys U-17: Hicksville Strikers 5, New York S.C. 1

LA GRANGE, N.Y. -- After reaching the national youth finals last year, the Hicksville Strikers played the entire season with a target on their collective backs.

To coach Gary Nemeth, it didn't matter.

"We're not really worried about what anyone else thinks or anyone is coming after us," he said. "It's what we want."

That was finishing second at the U.S. Youth Soccer Under-16 nationals last year.

"We felt we let something slip away last year," he added. "We felt we let a national championship slip away to a very good team, the Texans. I take my hat off to them. but we're not done. We won't be happy until we win it all. That's the boys. They feel it. They want it. Hopefully, we have to get back to that."

The Strikers took a giant step toward reaching the nationals by recording a 5-1 victory over the New York Soccer Club in the Open Cup Boys U-17 championship game at Stringham Park.

Jonathan Stallone scored five minutes into the match before finding the back of the net five minutes into the second half. Giovanni Lomonaco, Tim Parker and Colin Heffron added goals before NYSC tallied in the 65th minute.

Scoring an early goal in each half was key to Hicksville's success.

"We wouldn't let go," Nemeth said. "We knew the other team was very hard working. They're very organized. They've been on a hot run, doing well in their tournaments. So we knew we had to go out them right away, not to give them time to knock it about. We just wanted to put them under. We just wanted to finish them off as quickly as possible. We knew they are dangerous."

Hicksville finished undefeated in Region I North, winning the league championship.

Open Cup Boys U-14: HBC Devils 2, Massapequa Arsenal 2 (PKs: HBC, 5-4)

LA GRANGE, N.Y. -- Talk about taking advantage of your second chances.

After missing a penalty kick at the end of stoppage time that would have given the HBC Devils the Boys Open Cup Under-14 title, Thomas DiGiglio had another opportunity to boost his team over the Massapequa Arsenal in the penalty kick shootout.

This time he did not miss as DiGiglio booted in the winner at Stringham Park. HBC won the State Cup crown, winning the shootout, 5-4, after playing to a 2-2 draw.

It’s not easy taking penalty kicks, not matter what your age is. Yet, DiGiglio came through under intense pressure.

HBC coach said missing the added time penalty "was kind of a downer. It was real of a killer for us."

But he certainly was happy that DiGiglio bounced back in style.

"It was ironic that he could finish the game, Harrington said. "It’s not the best way to win a game for the losing team. We were here last season and we lost. We know what it is to lose. So it’s a big relief when we you win in penalties like that.

"He came big at the end."

For the record, the Devils converted all five of their spot kicks -- by Kyle Burns, Billy Stevens, Cody Cao, Luka Artinovic and DiGiglio.

"I thought if it came down to the last penalty kick, I thought he would come through," Harrington said. "If we were going to win it, it’s nice he won it for us because he felt really bad about missing the kick with 10 seconds left in the game. It all worked out in the end."

HBC goalkeeper Peter Spurrell saved the Arsenal’s fourth attempt of the tie-breaker.

The game was a classic, with lead and momentum swings.

The Devils struck three minutes after the opening kick on an Arthur Bucon goal. Massapequa grabbed a 2-1 advantage before HBC equalized behind Billy Stevens.

"It was a pretty even game," Harrington said. "I thought we started well. We scored early and we let them back in the game. After those six minutes they tied it. They had a good spell. They went 2-1 up and then we finished the stronger of the two teams."

During extratime, Harrington said both teams got tired.

"We had some chances to win it," he said. "We hit the bar a couple of times. It didn’t want to go in for us. Massapequa is a very good team. They always give us a good game. I should have known it was going to penalty kicks. We’ve done it before with these guys."

HBC finished in the top four in the Region 1 league, meaning the Long Island Junior Soccer League team will be back in contention next season.

"It’s been a good season," Harrington said. "Our goal was to win the State Cup and finish in the top four in Region 1, which is nice.

"After we lost last season in the final, we set this was our goal to come back and win it and we achieved it. Nice feeling."

The key to the Devils’ success? The team has been together for some time.

"The boys are good friends," Harrington said. "Most of them have been together for a long time. We have six or seven boys who have been together since they’ve been U-7. So there are a lot of good friends on the team. good chemistry. They practice hard and they love the game. You can’t ask for more."

Open Cup Boys Under-13: Smithtown Arsenal 2, Long Island United 1

LA GRANGE, N.Y. -- One of the most important times of a soccer game is the opening and closing five minutes of each halve and the game.

Just ask the Smithtown Arsenal about that. The Arsenal struck for the winning goal only 30 seconds into the second half in its 2-1 victory ove LIFC Anfield in the Open Cup Boys Under-13 championship game.

Left midfielder Matt Aprile scored to break a 1-1 deadlock at Stringham Park. Forward Steve Braccioforte had tallied for Smithtown in the 20th minute.

Scoring that quickly in the second half forced LIFC to go to the offensive for the rest of the second half. Smithtown held off its foes, but not before United made life uneasy for the winning side.

"The first half it was a possession game by both teams," Smithtown coach Dan McDonell said. "They played the feet very well. Both sides were able to possess the ball and had many scoring opportunities."

In the second half, things changed.

"It was more of a defensive match on our end because after we scored that opening goal the Long Island team just stacked our backline with extra players," McDonell said. "We had to take one of our forwards on the top and put him on the back line to try to match up with them shirt for shirt.

"Basically, it was a survival game at that point. We almost had a couple of opportunities late in the second half because their people came way out and they had only one man back marking our only forward. We had a great chance and their goalkeeper made a nice play on it."

Smithtown managed to survive.

McDonell said he has been impressed with his team’s determination.

"They have a lot of heart and a lot of desire," he said. "We might not be the most technically skilled team out there. We do have some boys who play that kind of game. We have a lot of players out there who just play hard, hard-nosed soccer. They win a lot of tackles. They just get to the ball quicker than most teams do. They do look for the open man. When the ball gets to one of our skilled players to carry the ball, we’re in good shape."

The Arsenal won the Colonial League -- a sub-Region 1 premier league -- with an unblemished 7-0 record. The team received an automatic bid to play in the regional premier league next year.

"We’re looking forward going to Region 1 and we know every game is going to be a tough challenge for us no matter who we are paired up against," McDonell said.

Open Cup Boys U-12: HBC Titans 1, B.W. Gottschee Celtics 1 (HBC in PKs, 5-4)

LA GRANGE, N.Y. -- The HBC Titans and B.W. Gottschee Celtics have gotten to know each other quite well through the years. So, when it came time for those two sides to square off in the Boys Under-12 Open Cup championship game, the result was almost predictable.

The match wound up tied after regulation and extratime and was needed to be decided by penalty kicks.

The Titans prevailed, winning the shootout, 5-4, after playing to a 1-1 tie at Stringham Park.

"The two teams know each other since we’ve been six or seven," HBC coach Dennis McGowan said. "We basically try to do as much as we can with each other during the course of the year. We use each other as training tools. Two different faces of soccer completely.

"We’re good at we want to do and we’re excellent at what we want to do. Whenever we meet, it’s fun to come together. That’s important, too. They’re a full year younger, too.

"Last year we got them in the first round of the cup and we didn’t want to see them in the cup," McGowan said. "We got past them and the same thing this year."

Gottschee took the lead in the second half, but HBC equalized.

"They came out and pushed hard, got a deserved goal," McGowan said. "We pushed hard and right there we made a bit of a stand and got one right back and then the two teams started to cancel each other out again."

McGowan was quite happy the way the Titans responded from coming back from the one-goal deficit.

"We got the response what we’re looking for when we went a goal down. I would have preferred we’d come out of the gate putting Gottschee under pressure and forcing them to defend, but I think we played a little bit too cautions and they Gunished us for it but our response was tremendous. we spent the next 15 minutes camped in their end, pushing for thre equalizer and maybe we could have got the winner.

During extratime Gottschee received a red card, which McGowan called "unfortunate."

"Nothing malacious, but [he] had to go," he added.

In the shootout, each team missed an attempt before Kyle Honor converted the game-winner. HBC goalkeeper Liam Alfred did not have to make a save on Gottschee’s attempt because it was hit wide.

John Foley sent a shot that the Gottschee keeper saved, but Chase Curtin put home the rebound for a 1-1 tie.

McGowan credited HBC’s success in the cup to winning two pre-season tournaments and spending some training time in England and Ireland.

"We learned a lot," he said. "We picked up a lot about guts and running and mental end of the game. I think it served us today because when we went down, we definitely got the resoponse they should be looking for every time. We definitely stepped it up.

As it turned out, HBC won two titles at this year’s Open Cup finals. The HBC Devils captured the Boys U-14 crown, also winning a shooting. The Devils overcame the Massapequa in penalty kicks after playing to a 2-2 draw.

"I can’t say enough for the club," McGowan said. "We get all of the support we need. You’re asked very little on the administrative end. That’s taken care of by the people who are great at it. What they ask is put a good product on the field and that your parents and yourself conduct themselves in a manner that the kids should be emulating. All support, anything you need. The club president and vice president go out of their way for us."

And they and the club were rewarded back with two championships.

Open Cup Boys U-12 small-sided: Istria/Met Oval 4, New York S.C. 1

LA GRANGE, N.Y. -- Some youth soccer teams change players from year to year like people change socks. Others will keep them together, which has been an important part of the success for Istria/Met Oval.

Most of the players on the team have been together for six years.

"They know each other like the back of their hands," coach Ivo Mohorovic said. "They don’t have to call the ball. One player will know when this guy is making his run down the line now or he is going, he wants a square ball. They know who wants it where, which foot is strong. just overall, which foot is stronger, knowing each other inside and out."

Which is a big reason why Istria is the Open Cup Boys Under-12 small-sided champions. Istria/Met Oval defeated the New York Soccer Club, 4-1, breaking a 1-1 tie early in the second half at Stringham Park.

Lucas do Nascimento scored around the 15th minute for Istria before NYSC equalized 10 minutes into the second half. Joseph Antonio, however, gave Istria/Met Oval the lead for good about 10 minutes later as Andre Arana added a pair of important insurance goals.

"We were playing well," Mohorovic said. "We scored early, but we couldn’t get that second. We were pressing and pressing for that second goal that never came. We gave up a free kick from about 25 yards and they scored a beautiful goal under the crossbar. That deflated us a little bit because we did have the run of play and we were attacking. That was a little wake up call.

"Actually our second goal was probably the nicest goal of the game. It was a fully volley, a cross from the right side from our right fullback. Our center forward hit it on a full volley into the left corner."

Istria/Met Oval finished atop its division in the Cosmopolitan Junior Soccer League at 9-0.

"Overall, it’s been a pretty successful year," Mohorovic said. "We went away to a few tournaments. We represented us very well. overall, it has been a very successful year."

GIRLS

Girls U-18 Open Cup: Albertson Fury 91 4, HBC Arsenal Intense 2

LA GRANGE, N.Y. -- Mother Nature almost had something to say about whether the Albertson Fury was going to be able to salvage a State Cup title at Stringham Park.

A fierce thunderstorm stopped play of the Girls Open Cup Under-18 final with the Fury leading HBC Arsenal Intense, 3-1, midway through the second half.

Fury coach Phil Casella was fearful the stoppage of play would harm his team's momentum. It did and it didn't as Albertson managed to hold on and register a 4-2 victory.

"It definitely was a little scary coming back," Casella said. "We obviously had momentum. We had just scored to make it 3-1. I felt we had put them back on their heels a little bit."

The the storm came, "which gives them a chance to regroup and give them a little more energy. Obviously gets them ready to go to finish off the match," Casella said.

HBC scored five minutes into the game after the restart.

"It's a little scary, but you know, the girls have been through a lot," Casella said. "They've been through a number of high-scoring games and have been in that situation before. They kept their cool, kept on playing soccer and attacking and we were able to get a fourth one to close the game from there."

For the record, Kathie Greer, Carly Beyar, Alyssa Brandofino and Rebecca Bakich scored for the FuRY.

"It's been a battle of the last three years between us and HBC," Casella said. "We play each other in Region 1 every spring. We've played them in the last three State Cup finals, U-16, U-17 and U-18. Its always a big rivalry between the two groups.

"Its always going to be a hard fought match. We've always been able to in the past meetings be able to get a two- or three-goal lead cushion, which allowed us to settle in a little bit more. but obviously this game, meaning so much in the State Cup final, they were right down our throats. They came away with the first goal to get an edge and get the energy going. But really, credit to the girls and everything. They did a great job to keep their heads."

And managed to win a State Cup title for Fury, which had five girls teams in the finals. But teams in the U-12, U-15, U-16 and U-17 age groups fell short of the mark set by club director of football Paul Riley.

"We didn't want to come in here 0-5," Casella said. "Paul's agenda was to get five out of five. Unfortunately we struggled a little. Our hopes were really high on the 92's and 93's getting it and fighting a battle against those teams.

"I told my girls at the beginning of the game, 'You know what? You can be the one team that can hopefully change everything around. everyone wants to go after the Fury. They know it's the best program in the state.' Paul's done a great job to build a program and build the teams. . . . It's great to get one to keep the club going and let the people know that the Albertson Fury is the top club in the state."


Girls U-16 Open Cup: Quickstrike FC 94 1, Albertson Fury 1 (Quickstrike penalties, 4-3)


LA GRANGE, N.Y. -- Sometimes it takes only one kick to make a season worth it.

Just ask Quickstrike FC 94 and coach Jesse Kolmel.

Tori Patterson converted the game-winning penalty kick in a shootout to lift Quickstrike FC over the Albertson Fury and to the Girls Under-16 Open Cup crown at Stringham Park.

The teams had battled to a 1-1 tie before Quickstrike managed to prevailed in penalties, 4-3.

No one appreciated the win more than Kolmel .

"We had a rough Region 1 season," he said. "We had a lot of injuries. We lost six players, four during high school. It brought us down to 12 players."

That's how many Kolmel had for the State Cup final.

"We had to play a Region 1 schedule with two games a day," he said. "That was a tough, tough stint for us. We took it past us."

Especially in the Open Cup.

"We new that one game a day is to our advantage," he said. "We're fit and we made the best of it."

Albertson took the lead, but Shannon Palmer scored the equalizer for Quickstrike about 10 minutes into the second half.

"It was a very good game. Great teams," Kohmel said. "Albertson is a very strong side, one of the top teams in the nation. Our girls found a way to pull it out."

Asked if he thought Quickstrike had Albertson's number, Kolmel replied, "I don't want to say that. They're a very good team. we've got fair results in the finals against them.

"I can't talk for Albertson. But I know with our girls, they know when they have this opportunity that it might be only once. We new we were fortunate to get back here for a second time and we wanted to make the most of it. They committed themselves on and off the field, during training and outside of training to be successful in this opportunity."

Open Cup Girls U-15: Patriots FC 2, Albertson Elite Fury 0

LA GRANGE, N.Y. -- The best thing to happen to the FC Patriots was losing a game prior to the State Cup final.

After securing a spot in the Girls Open Cup Under-15 finals, Patriots FC lost to La Grange the next day.

"I think it woke us up because we hadn’t lost before that for a month," Patriots coach Donald Lucas said. "So they felt like what it was to lose a game. I thought it helped us today, hopefully help us in the future."

It certainly did not hurt the Patriots at Stringham Park, the venue of their La Grange loss after a 3-0 semifinal win over Quickstrike the previous day.

"It was sweet revenge for La Grange because we beat them in the first round of the State Cup," Lucas said.

"It’s a roller coaster. One day you’re high, one day you’re low. And we were just very flat."

That certainly wasn’t the case in the State Cup final.

The Patriots grabbed a 2-0 halftime advantage behind Meagan Caspare (18th minute) and Issy Sheck (four minutes before halftime) en route to a win by the same score.

"It was a great game," Lucas said. "Albertson is a great club, a great team. We capitalized on a couple of their mistakes. Other than that we battled as much as we could."

Grabbing a two-goal lead "really rattled Albertson," Lucas said. "I’m sure they’re a very good team and they’re not used to playing like that from behind. It was a good result on our part. We fought very hard today and we beat a very good team.

"We came in as the underdog. Albertson was just that good. Our girls just battled and did whatever it took today. I’m very proud of my team and effort they gave today."

The Patriots won the ENY President League title and expect to return ot the Northeast Regional league next year. They won the Orange Classic last year and was a finalist at NEWSS.

"When we’re playing well, we’re playing really well," Lucas said.

Lucas, who came on as coach this season after guiding the team into the State Cup U-12 finals three years ago, was impressed with the way the players responded to him.

"I wanted them to play simple," he said. "They like to play possession and possession doesn’t win games. At some point we have to go forward, we have to take shots. So we try to play that into our game plan. The girls fed off of it. If you make a mistake, don’t worry about it, keep playing. They beat themselves up too much. Stay positive as much as possible."

Open Cup Girls U-14: OMM/World Class 95 Kentimentos 1, Patriots 96 0

LA GRANGE, N.Y. -- OMM/World Class 95 Kentimentos needed only one goal to record it State Cup championship in a 1-0 Girls Under-14 win over Patriots 96 at Stringham Park.

Jackie St. John scored the lone goal in the first half for OMM/World Class 95 Kentimentos.

"It was a great match," OMM/World Class 95 Kentimentos coach John Robinson said. "The Patriots are a very competitive team. We were just able to put some pressure on the team and we went from there."

OMM World Class’ secret?

"A lot of dedication, hard work, determination," Robinson said.

Winning the Open Cup crown capped off a memorable year for OMM World Class, which also won the Northeast Region I Premier title.

"I’ve been with World Class for a year, but this team’s been together for a while," Robinson said.

Open Cup Girls U-13: Farmingdale United 2, Sachem Xtreme 0

LA GRANGE, N.Y. -- It’s always special with a team wins the State Cup. For Farmingdale United, capturing the Girls Under-13 crown this year was extra special.

United dedicated its season to the late Jeff Klapper, an assistant coach and father of midfielder Jordan Klapper. He died of cancer last year.

"We’ve all pulled together," coach Jamie Gonzalez after Farmingdale defeated Sachem Xtreme, 2-0, to win the Open Cup title at Stringham Park. "His daughter played well and the team pulled together. We dedicated this year going forward to him because of all the work he put in. He’s been very dedicated to the program and to myself and to the other coaches."

United scored both its goals within a five-minute span in the first half. Haley Stewart connected in the 15th minute off a cross by Christina Lampasia. Five minutes later, Taylor Sipos hit the crossbar. The rebounded came to forward Amanda Perofra, who slotted the ball home.

"It was a well-played game," Gonzalez said. "I thought Farmingdale United controlled the tempo of the game, played some great soccer and kept the ball on the ground. We stayed very composed, played some nice connecting passes going to goal. I thought it was a very clean game. I’m very happy with the effort and energy our girls gave throughout the game."

Asked what makes the team so special, Gonzalez replied, "We have so many special players. We have dedication from the parents, from the coaching staff and from everybody to stick to the plan and do what is necessary. I am very happy with the girls’ overall effort and how happy they are to be here. that makes a huge difference to me."

Gonzalez has won five State Cup titles with four Long Island Junior Soccer League clubs -- one with Farmingale, two with Levittown SC and one with HBC and one with Bayport SC.

"It doesn’t get old because new sets of girls come in," he said. "Its very exciting for the team. We actually won our Premier League. We had a clean sweep this year, winning the Premier championship, then winning the State Cup."

Open Cup Girls U-12 final: FC Sting Bees 4, Albertson Fury 0

LA GRANGE, N.Y. -- Every soccer team has at least one challenge to overcome. For the FC Sting Bees 97 team, it was having enough substitutes in their games.

So, when an injured player 20 minutes into the match left coach Rachel Saperstein with only one sub in the Open Cup Girls Under-12 championship game against the Albertson Fury, it wasn’t the end of the world.

FC Sting went on to record a 4-0 victory at Stringham Park.

"That was built into the equation this entire season." Saperstein said. "I think it’s emboldened them. I don’t like it. They don’t like it. It’s very nerve-wracking, but their chemistry and the way they look out after one another is a function of how short-handed they’ve played all year."

Saperstein has been most impressed with the team’s "heart, the way they feel towards one another."

"There’s a great chemistry out there," she added. "They would lay down in the street for one another. and that shows in the way they play. They’ve been up against adversity this entire season. We don’t have a big roster. They played without no subs for pretty much this entire year. No matter you throw in their way, they seem to rise to the occasion. So, that is indicative the way they play.

Olivia Sezker, Sammy Mueller and Rebecca Landau scored as the Bees broke open a 1-0 game at halftime with three second-half goals.

"I think we played our game," Saperstein said. "We wanted to get the ball out wide. We wanted to isolate some of our players and stretch them in the wide areas and we tried to come back in. I think our girls won majority of the 50-50 balls. That was huge. It set the tone. They just came out with a lot of intensity and a lot of hunger."

Saperstein has been most impressed with the team’s "heart, the way they feel towards one another."

"There’s a great chemistry out there," she added. "They would lay down in the street for one another. and that shows in the way they play. They’ve been up against adversity this entire season. We don’t have a big roster. They played without no subs for pretty much this entire year. and no matter you throw in their way, they seem to rise to the occasion. So, that is indicative the way they play.

The Bees outscored their opposition in the State Cup tournament, 15-0.

"If they are a foundation, they are rocks," Saperstein said. "I’m very proud of how they give us a lift, a confidence, knowing that its very hard to score on us."

It was Saperstein’s fourth State Cup title as a head coach. The club has been around for six years and has won five State Cup.

Open Cup Girls U-12 small-sided: Alleycats Blackcats 4, Nirvana Legacy 0

LA GRANGE, N.Y. -- The Alleycats Blackcats might be only in their second year of existence, but they play like they have performed for years together.

The Blackcats proved that at the Open Cup final at Stringham Park, recording a 4-0 victory over the Nirvana Legacy to win the Girls Under-12 small-sided championship.

They’re definitely a seasoned team, according to coach Skip Dawson, a former Eastern New York ODP coach.

The Blackcats have done more than their share of traveling, playing in out-of-state tournaments and in the Eastern New York President’s League.

"We’ve been to at least three or four major tournaments," Dawson said. "We bond when we’re at the hotel. The parents are so great. We have little cookouts together. All of that is part of bringing in the girls so they start to play as a team. We travel. We’ve been on buses, so we’ve been out there."

And that means playing in cold temperatures and in hot weather.

"The Nirvana team, which is a good little team, its that we’re a little more seasoned at this stage because we’re out there," Dawson said. "We’ve played in 100 degrees. We’ve played short. We’ve played with no subs. So we’re seasoned to compete.

"I think that’s the lesson we continually try to instill in these girls -- competition and the desire to compete. . . . I believe there is nobody on this team who can’t juggle with their feet over a 100 times. So they’re pretty skilled players."

While it’s summertime, it may not be appropriate to talk about playing in cold weather, Dawson is proud of the fact his team has done that.

"We have played in the snow," he said. "We have a little thing that we did this year. We went to Union College (Schenectady). Their field was covered with snow. So we shoveled and we played in the snow. We’re going to make it an annual festival. In February we’re going to play in the snow over the weekend. We’re going to invite teams over the weekend to play in the snow. Just as a fun thing."

The Blackcats enjoyed themselves at Stringham, grabbing a 2-0 halftime lead, behind two goals from Liz Guidi (third and 15th minutes).

"They came out and pressed really well in the second half," Dawson said. "They really took the momentum away that we had. The girls are nervous. We’re usually pretty good at keeping the ball on the ground to a great degree. The grounds were a little hard, so the ball was bouncing and doing some hard things. But we kept pressing and we scored a third goal, a great goal."

That was from Hannah Munro. Taylor Lockwood added the final score off a header.

Dawson said that Munroe "was extremely dominant . . . Her work rate was on and she just kept attacking, Won all her head balls, played smart, great technical skills, part of the ODP program. I don’t want to get her head too big because she’ll let it get to her."