Strikers split a pair
The East Windsor PAL U-11 Strikers continued their undefeated season with a 4-1 victory over the Millstone Strikers.
After falling behind 1-0, the Strikers took command of the game with Jervin Miguez and Chase Deutsch scoring back-to- back goals within a five-minute period.
Jayden Isabel got the scoring started in the second half with an assist from Jervin Miguez. Yash Agarwal contributed with the final goal on an assist from Edison Pillco, who had two total assists on the day.
Sean Burk put another stellar performance in between the pipes saving eight of the nine shots he faced. The Strikers defense, led by Anthony Visconti and Andy Quiridumbay, frustrated the Millstone.
The Strikers played a selfless game, dominated possession and moved the ball around the midfield nicely thanks to the teamwork of Griffin Kubicki, Alexis Chasi, Jeyron Castillo, Matteo Gualotuna, Michael Fowler, and Peter Chavez.
The following week, the Strikers suffered their first loss of the season at the feet of the Manalapan Fusion. It was a hard-fought battle that saw goals from Jayden Isabel (unassisted) and Griffin Kubicki off an indirect kick 20 yards out (assisted by Matteo Gualtuno). Michael Fowler hammered a volley in off a cross by Jervin Miguez to bring the Strikers within one before finally falling 6-3 to Manalapan.
Chase Deutsch was solid in the nets for the Strikers coming in for an injured Sean Burk saving 3 of the 3 shots he faced.
The Strikers are home at the PAL fields this Sunday when they face off against the Neptune Honey Badgers.
Success for Arsenal
The EW PAL Girls U12 Arsenal had a successful weekend against two MOSA opponents.
First, they played rival Manalapan Xtreme Friday night under the lights. The Arsenal did not disappoint the large crowd who came to support them with a 2-1 victory.
Alayna Giampolo scored the first goal in the first minute of the game on an assist from Allie Szelag. Abby Carter and Megan Khazem controlled the midfield while Tanya Augenbaugh was outstanding in the right Fullback position.
After Manalapan tied the game in the second half, Charlotte Garcia blasted home the winning goal in the final 30 seconds of extra time.
Then after just one day of rest, the Arsenal was at it again. This time on the road in Howell vs. the Hot Shots, notching a 4-0 win. There was no score at the half, despite aggressive play up front from Anna Zappola, Elise Price and Nishan Pannu.
Everything came together in the second half though as Rachael Charsky opened the scoring with a direct free kick from 30 yards out. Lola Huang notched her second goal of the season, and Angelina Benitez scored two goals to guarantee the victory. Radha Ghate notched her 3rd shutout in 4 games.
East Windsor will host Manalapan again this week in the MOSA Cup elimination game.
Blue Dragons dominate
The EWPAL U9 Blue Dragons dominated in their second home game on Sunday defeating Peninsula 6-0 with speedy play and a stifling defense.
In the first half, Zachary Banegas played goalie and denied two shots by Peninsula. The defensive team of Ilias Bettendorf, Dylan Stables, and Akhil Ramesh continually broke down any offensive attempts on the net by Peninsula. Dylan Stables booted several kicks back to Blue Dragons territory to refuse Peninsula shots on goal.
The East Windsor offense set the pace with a pinpointed pass from Alexander Garcia to Sebastian Rincon for a solid shot on goal. Alexander Garcia maneuvered from midfield and streaked down the field for his first goal making it 2-0. Then Sebastian Rincon found the net again after weaving through defenders and booted in the third goal.
It didn’t take long after the second half started for Alexander Garcia to race downfield again and drive a strong kick high into the right corner of the goal. Minutes later he repeated by kicking another bullet high into the corner for his third goal of the game making it 5-0.
Peninsula tried to come back offensively, but Zachary Banegas made his third save of the game. Ilias Bettendorf went in as goalkeeper and Zachary Banegas moved to an offensive position. Jonathan Quizhpi and William Hegarty both made strong defensive plays denying Peninsula once again. Ilias Bettendorf made two saves in the second half preserving the shutout.
In the last minutes of the game, Zachary Banegas broke away from the pack at midfield, pushed the ball forward, and kicked in the final goal to make the final score 6-0.
