CLIFTON PARK, N.Y. -- Danielle Rossi usually doesn’t take free kicks for the Oceanside United Shooting Stars, but this time she had a hunch with time running down in regulation. "I just kind of wanted that one," she said. So, Rossi powered a shot from just outside the penalty area past the ASA Vipers goalkeeper to lift the Shooting Stars to a dramatic 1-0 victory over the Maryland team to reach final of the Girls Under-17 President’s Cup at Clifton Commons on Sunday.
The Shooting Stars will take on the Western United FC (Mass.) at Clifton Commons at 8 a.m. Monday. The winner will qualify for the nationals in Murfreesboro, Tenn. July 8-11. In the group round, Western United bested Oceanside, 5-2.
But Rossi was just happy reaching the finals. Oceanside finished with a 2-1 victory, also record a 3-1 win over another Eastern New York team, Rotterdam U-17, 3-1.
"That’s exciting," Rossi said of reaching the final. "I want to go to the nationals. We’re going to play hard like we did today.
"It’s an accomplishment. Hopefully we can just go further and further."
Well, that could depend on how healthy the Shooting Stars are. Oceanside had four players injured and as of Sunday afternoon, had only eight healthy bodies for Monday game. But things could change by the morning if those knocks and bruises went away. Originally, team officials considered not playing, but agreed that the show must go on.
"With this tournament, it seems we’re getting a lot of injuries, a lot of wear," coach Sean McNeill said. "So we’re wearing down a little bit. But we’re holding up pretty well, especially in the heat towards the later part of the day."
With the end of the season nearing, like many coaches McNeill has been forced to find ways to overcome the wear and tear.
"You’re balancing players, putting players where they normally wouldn’t play," he said. "You’re trying to keep everything balanced on the field. You are putting girls out of position and just to keep them going."
Reaching the finals was "a real good sense of achievement through the season," McNeill said.
Winning it, he added, would verify all of "just all your hard work through the season."
McNeill said that virtually the entire team was from Oceanside.
"They have all known each other through high school," he said. "They’re all pretty good friends. Just a good sense of camaraderie. On a trip like this, they go away and have a little fun together, which is nice."
Having fun on this trip means a stay at Lake George, which is beautiful this time of the year, but an area that can offer a lot of distractions.
McNeill said the key was "trying to relax. When you’re at Lake George, there is a lot you can do. Hopefully, they won’t do too much while having a little fun at the same time.
He said the team is at a hotel in the village with outlet stories. "You can go crazy going running around all there," he said.
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