CLIFTON PARK, N.Y. -- After defeating New England Wave, 3-0, two days before, Bay Shore Power coach Mike Imbasciani wanted to make sure his Girls Under-13 team did not have a let down against the same team in the President’s Cup Region I final Monday. So, Imbasciani made it a point to talk to his team about take the Rhode Island side for granted.

"We wouldn’t want to take them too lightly because I felt they actually played us pretty well on Saturday," he said. "They had a couple of good chances. We talked to the girls about that, reminded them that we needed to play our game."

The message got across to the Power, which played its game, scoring three goals in the opening half en route to a 3-1 victory at Clifton Commons.

Scoring early and often was important for Bay Shore.

"Getting the first couple of goals, they kept playing hard," Imbasciani said. "I give them credit. I think it just gave us the confidence that we could compete with them."

Brianna Hernandez struck twice in the 12th and 16th minutes and Erica Silhan added a third

"I felt the first half we played pretty well," Imbasciani said. "The second half, IO felt we came out flat or they came out just a little bit harder. So they did a nice job of staying in the game."

New England scored close to the end of the match and continued to push forward.

"But we’re a good defensive team. so, we hand tight," Imbasciani said.

The Power’s work, however, is not done. Bay Shore plays the Farmingdale Phoenix for first place in the Eastern New York President’s League. If the Power prevails, it will mean the league title.

That certainly would make it a unique six days for the Power, winning two championship so close to each other.

Imbasciani said that participating in the President’s Cup was "a big deal because every child up here came to play. Nobody declined to come up. We had a good time with the parents. It’s a well-run tournament. The facility is fantastic and it’s a nice weekend."

The Power has a 15-player roster.

The key to the team?

"That’s simple," Imbasciani said. "We’ve had a majority of the kids together since U-7. They’re like sisters. Everything we do we do as a team. Every goal that’s scored is not individual, it’s a team. We’ve been together since they’ve been seven years old and competed at every level from [Long Island Junior Soccer League] Division 2, Division I, President’s Cup. We won the Waldbaum’s Challenge last year. It’s a good group of kids."

The Power cannot participate in the nationals at Murfreesboro, Tenn. July 8-11 because only teams from U-14 through U-17 qualify under competition rules.

"We definitely would have gone," if allowed," Imbasciani said. "We’ll enjoy our summer."

But it will be a short one.

The Power will start training sometime in July and then get really serious in August to prepare for the start of the President’s League season in September.

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