SOCCER CLUB REPORT
On Nov. 2, the Hillsborough Blaze came back from three goals behind to defeat the Willow Grove United Orange Crush 6-5 in Philadelphia Area Girls Soccer (PAGS) competition.
The Orange Crush took control at the opening of the match and scored at the 2-minute mark, then again six minutes later, and took a three-goal lead midway through the half. The Blaze could have quit at this point, but instead adjusted to Willow Grove and began to turn things around.
In the 25th minute, Alyssa Giarrusso sent the ball beyond the defense and in front of the goal. Tessa Mayhew beat the keeper to the ball, tapped it past her, then scored into the empty net. The half ended with the Blaze behind 3-1.
The Orange Crush charged out for the second half with renewed energy and quickly recorded their fourth goal of the day. Now down 4-1, the Blaze would not give up and began to apply increasingly more offensive pressure. It paid off handsomely when Mayhew crossed the ball to Julie DiAlfonso, who knocked the ball past the Willow Grove keeper to move the score to 4-2.
The offensive pressure continued to yield dividends just five minutes later, when Katie Faillace laid the ball up for an excellent shot by Allie Prosinski, which hit the back of the net to cut the one. The frenzied Blaze attack continued, and five minutes later, a desperate defender tripped Prosinski in the goal area. Her penalty kick was unstoppable, and the Blaze completed the comeback to tie the match at 4-4. With more work to do to secure a win, Kristian Wasdick sent the ball up to DiAlfonso for her second goal and the Blaze took the lead for the first time at 5-4.
The older, more experienced Orange Crush didn’t give up, though. With just three minutes left in the 80-minute contest, they caught the Blaze a bit overconfident and drew the match even on a header off of a corner kick. However, this was going to be the Blaze’s day.
With just 30 seconds remaining, and the Blaze swarming to take back the victory, Prosinski took a rocket of a shot that the keeper was only able to deflect away. Lauren Wendeborn pounced on the rebound, and her superb shot from 30 yards out bent around the goalie and into the net to complete a breathtaking and exciting come-from-behind win.
Also contributing to this amazing win were Katerina Albanese, Rachel Chavkin, Abby Goodrich, Lisa Grohn, Kiki Gustafson, Abby Hewel, Tessa Kettelkamp, Ashley Landesman and Sabrina Rodrigues.
Blaze 3
Warrington 3
On Nov. 15, the U-15 Warrington (PA) Kicks brought their perfect record (8-0-0) to Hillsborough to face a vastly improving U-14 Blaze girls’ soccer team in the season finale in Division One of the Philadelphia Area Girls Soccer (PAGS) League. The Warrington squad left Hillsborough with a blemished record, as the Blaze overcame the elements and came from behind to secure an exciting 3-3 tie.
Aided by an extremely strong wind, it was all Warrington for the first 25 minutes of the match. Hillsborough was able to dodge several bullets, successfully defending against several dangerous corner kicks as the ball flew unpredictably in the high winds. In the 15th minute, though, the Kicks managed to score on their fourth corner kick. They doubled their lead just moments later when they caught the Blaze defense sleeping.
This was just the jolt Hillsborough needed, however, and their offense began to show signs of life. Katie Faillace, Alyssa Giarrusso, and Anchi Numfor registered shots on goal. And at the 29-minute mark, in a textbook display of ball-control, Faillace kicked the ball up to Julie DiAlfonso, who sent it over to Tessa Mayhew, who tapped it back to Giarrusso, who launched a long pass to Numfor on the left side. Numfor blasted it into the back of the net. The rest of the half was evenly matched until the waning moments when a strong shift in the wind gave Warrington an easy opportunity to increase their score. The half ended with the Blaze behind 3-1.
Unfortunately for the Blaze, the wind had died down considerably by the time the teams switched sides for the second half, but at least the elements were no longer aiding the opposition. With all else being even, Hillsborough dominated the half. Tight coverage by defenders Lisa Beck, Abby Goodrich, Kiki Gustafson, Numfor, Kristian Wasdick and Jacki Schwankert constantly frustrated Warrington’s efforts.
On offense, the Blaze pressure paid off. Giarrusso passed the ball from center midfield on the left side up to Numfor, whose shot was blocked by the keeper. But Katerina Albanese got to the rebound first and knocked it in to cut the Warrington lead to one.
Other second-half shots on goal were registered by Rachel Chavkin, Giarrusso, Lisa Grohn, Mayhew, Schwankert, and Lauren Wendeborn. The Kicks had their best opportunity to score in the 30th minute on a breakaway, but second-half keeper Ashley Landesman came all the way out to the 18-yard line to make a daredevil sliding save as the rushing forwards went sailing over her. Five minutes later, Allie Prosinski’s direct kick from 45 yards out sailed across the field on the left side to Numfor, whose excellent shot drew the match even at 3-3.
With under a minute left in the match, Giarrusso delivered a long clearing pass up the left side. Numfor beat the defense to the ball and sprinted 40 yards before launching a powerful shot, but the Warrington keeper made a great save.
The U-14 Blaze (5-3-1) have now concluded their inaugural season in PAGS, playing up in the U-15 Division 1. The tie secured them fourth place in the 12-team division, just one point out of second place.
Panthers 4
Franklin 3
The U-13 Hillsborough Panthers concluded their 2008 fall campaign with a hard fought 4-3 victory over the visiting Franklin Phantoms.
On a cold, blustery mid-November day the Panthers dominated the early part of the game. Alex Florin and Callum Humphrey were early offensive leaders, but fullback Nathan Paget would get Hillsborough on the board with a long range, down wind kick that skidded by the Franklin goalkeeper. The home team built on the lead moments later when Eric Boyer found Jordan Gilberti who drove hard down the center box and drilled a right to left rocket that found the net for a 2-0 lead.
Panther stopper Phil Rudio made consecutive outstanding defensive plays that kept the Phantoms off the board, and got some help from goalkeeper Bryan Yaskowski, who made a sliding save late in the half. Ameer Metwally extended the lead to 3-0 early in the second half, firing a deflected shot into the right hand corner.
Franklin countered with two goals, but Hillsborough was able to answer off of a perfect, bending corner kick by Kenny Dundorf. After the opposing goalkeeper could not control the ball, an omnipresent Shane Nuara half volleyed the rebound just inside the right post for a key insurance goal.
More pressure ensued as Grant Jurkowich and Alex Tang put shots on goal, but the visitors trimmed the lead to 4-3. That is where reliable Panther fullbacks Joe Spaniol, Varad Joshi and Garreth Dennis stymied the Franklin attack for the remainder of the game.
Hillsborough was without the services of outstanding defender Nick Theodore, who missed the last two games of the season with a broken wrist. With the victory, Hillsborough clinched their flight title in the Mid-Jersey Youth Soccer Association.
Dynamos 2
Livingston 1
The Hillsborough Soccer Club U10 Dynamos had a stunning victory over the Livingston Lumberjacks in their last game of the fall season on Nov.16. The Dynamos won 2-1 in an exciting game.
In the scoreless first quarter Michael Gortaire worked hard for the Dynamos and steadily sent the ball into offensive territory. Vishal Chalam also kept the Lumberjacks running with strong defensive play. However, in the second quarter, after Joey Bevilacqua’s on goal kick was deflected, Evan O’Connor took the rebound and passed to Mitchel Baron for the first goal of the game.
Kyle Burgess cleared the ball as stopper and the Dynamos blocked Livingston’s three kicks on the goal. In third quarter action Alex Dimtrov-Kuhl kept the ball heading in the right direction. Matt Koppa scored the second goal with a beautiful air-born kick that lofted into the net. The Dynamos almost scored a third goal with a near miss by Gavin Wasylak.
Livingston did score one goal in the fourth quarter but was blocked from scoring again when Tyler Baum defended an onslaught by the Lumberjacks and rolled over the ball to take control for the Dynamos. The Dynamos are a first year team and are coached by Jerry Baron, Pete Dimtrov-Kuhl, Scott Koppa and Alex Wasylak.