Boys

U10 Force 4, Algonquin 3
Yorktown 5, U9 Storm 0
U14 Arsenal 1, Cornwall 0
U9 Vikings 2, Poughkeepsie 2

Girls

U10 Hawks, 2, Yorktown 0
U10 Hawks 5, New Paltz 0

Game summaries provided by Philipstown Soccer Club:

Force Win 4-3 in Newburgh

On a damp and misty Sunday afternoon the U10 boys Philipstown Force traveled to Newburgh to take on Algonquin Liverpool.

The Force came out firing, as Bryce Kenny connected on an early shot to take a 1-0 lead. On the kickoff, Algonquin mustered a quick breakaway, but defender Magnus DuBois quelled the threat. Force midfielder Diego DiGiglio, in what would be a standout game, then fired several crosses into the Liverpool box; one found Roth Westphal for an easy tap-in goal shortly after his own shot had bounced off the post.

Minutes later, DiGiglio again found Westphal with a pass that the striker sent home with a powerful shot for a 3-0 lead. Algonquin abandoned their conservative start and began pressing, but any balls that got past the staunch back line of Owen Sullivan-Hoch, Anthony Bailey, and Gabriel Rotenberg were quickly collected by the alert hands of goalkeeper George Stubbs.

The home team was able to convert shortly before halftime on a missed referee’s call, when a Liverpool striker jumped offside to intercept a goal kick and knock it into the corner for a 3-1 score. After the half, Algonquin came out strong, scoring on a breakaway to close the score to 3-2.

Looking to stanch the bleeding, Philipstown regained the two-goal advantage as defender Lucky Bell sent a crisp pass to midfielder Lincoln McCarthy, who connected wtih Westphal for a third goal – giving him an elusive Hat Trick. Algonquin closed the score to 4-3 after Stubbs deflected a shot to an Algonquin striker positioned at the back post who slotted the rebound into the net.

The home side kept hammering away but the Philipstown defense would not yield; several booming kicks by Zackery Fox cleared the danger time and again. Midfielder Owen Powers used his speed to threaten the Algonquin defense late, and the tension ran high until the final whistle saw the Force escape with a hard-earned 4-3 road victory, evening their record at 2-2-1.

Hawks End Season With Two Wins

The Philipstown Girls U10 Hawks ended their successful 2017 season with two wins. On Nov. 4 the Hawks traveled to Yorktown Heights to make up a rained out game. While the match-up was even, the superb passing by the Hawks gave them the slight edge to beat Yorktown 2-0. Taya Robinson and Samantha Thomas scored, with an assist from Marisa Peters.

On Nov. 5, the Hawks hosted the New Paltz Kicks at Philipstown Park. This was the final game for the Hawks, and each girl played her heart out to beat New Paltz 5-0. Genevieve Knox scored her first goal of the season, with Anna-Catherine Nelson booting in 2 goals. Samantha Thomas and Jessica Tudor each reached the net as well.

Kate Perella and Gillie Soloviev commanded the forward line, using their speed and passing skills to attack New Paltz’s defenders. Fiona Mooney, Taya Robinson and Olivia Moran dominated the defense, barely allowing New Paltz in the Hawks’ defensive end. Marisa Peters consistently controlled the Hawks’ midfield, while steadfast goalkeeper Ava Vasta upheld yet another Hawks shutout.

Coach Ralph Moran and Assistant Coach Michael Robinson were overjoyed to see the team comradary and growth of these young soccer players.

Phoenix Succumb to Cyclones

The Philipstown Phoenix traveled north to Hyde Park on Nov. 5 to take on the Cyclones on a grey and dreary Sunday. Without substitutions, and playing down a girl – a situation nicely matched by the opposing team – the Phoenix played a different line-up than for much of the season. Sophie Tomlins continued to backstop the team in the first half, but on defense Ada Caccamise, Amelia Alayon, and Laurel Sassano held down the fort.

In front, a four-wide of mixed mid-fielders and strikers included Sofia Rasic, Josie Foley-Hedlund, Lyla Chandler, and Kira Drury. The team showed nice ball movement and control in mid-field, with good work by Ada, Lyla and Sofia to move the ball forward. The Phoenix got on the board off a penalty kick early in the second half, which Josie slotted past a diving goalkeeper for the team’s first goal of the season.

The girls will continue to improve on Nov. 11 and 12 with two games, including a make-up against Cortlandt.

Titans Prove Too Much for Storm

The Philipstown U9 Storm traveled south on Nov. 5 for a well-played but ultimately unsuccessful contest against the Yorktown Titans. Much of the game was played in mid-field, with the Storm’s fleet corps of Lenny Wolfe, Gavin Mahoney, Connor Keegan, and Marco DiLello collecting loose balls and moving them upfield. Theo Sacks came up with a number of great saves in goal against a team with a very strong corner kicking strategy, and the backline of Griffin Lucca, Lincoln Wayland, Jack Ferreira, and Alex Gaugler helped divert a number of Titan drives.

The true standout of the game, however, was Christopher Kordaris who, playing as a forward, showed a tenacity and drive that helped the Storm threaten the goal several times. Ultimately Yorktown’s ball-handling and passing carried the day, leading to a 5-0 Titan win, but the Storm emerged enthusiastic and energized by a well-played game.

Arsenal Defeat Division Leader Cornwall

The Boys U14 Philipstown Arsenal hosted the Cornwall Comets on Nov. 5. Cornwall entered the game at the top of the division with a 6-1 record, but at the starting whistle, Philipstown established a steady passing game and Cornwall struggled to respond.

Eight minutes in, Ryan Eng-Wong dribbled down the wing, cut past his defender and fired a shot. The Cornwall keeper made a great save but was unable to handle the wet ball and Colin August – positioned for the rebound – blasted a shot into the back of the net to take the early 1-0 lead.

Cornwall regained composure and pressured the Arsenal defense, and while momentum shifted back and forth throughout the half, Philipstown maintained their slim lead going into halftime. In the second half, the two evenly-matched teams continued their epic back-and-forth battle.

The Arsenal midfield of Colin August, Tim Ben Adi, Jasper Drake, Ryan Eng-Wong, Stefano Hammond, Evan Maasik, Chase Mayer, Jake Piotrowski, Stephen Robinson, Roy Smith and Aidan Sullivan-Hoch played as a team, moving the ball around the field with creativity and finesse and distributing selflessly to their teammates.

Tension mounted as Cornwall fought to get on the scoreboard and Philipstown had to work even harder to keep them scoreless. Arsenal keeper Danny Urbanak was flawless in goal, making several outstanding saves in the challenging weather conditions.

Philipstown defenders, Ezra Beato, Daniel Carlos, Patrick DiNardo, David Tacuri, with help from Robinson early in the game and Maasik late in the game, played with heart, determination and blistering speed and were able to shut out the excellent Cornwall team with a final score of Philipstown 1, Cornwall 0.

Fireworks Abound in Hard-Fought Vikings vs. Flames Draw

A grey sky and misty drizzle couldn’t extinguish the fire with which the Boys’ U9 Vikings stood down the visiting Poughkeepsie Flames in a 2-2 draw on Nov. 5.

The Vikings were first to strike when Parker Larsen nailed a confident penalty kick – low and fast – into the left corner and beyond the reach of a diving Flames’ goalie. The Flames answered with a goal to tie the game at 1-1, but spent a majority of the match on their heels thanks to a fearless Vikings defense. Joseph DeMarco, Joey Smith and Oliver Choi were like a fortress, guarding their goal and sending countless balls back into Flames territory.

One such defensive clearance found Parker Larsen who sped by Flames’ defenders and scored again to give the Vikings a 2-1 lead. But, the Flames scored once more and the game concluded in a 2-2 stalemate. Despite several fast breaks and near misses with only minutes left, the Vikings simply ran out of time. It all added up to a masterful game by the constantly improving Vikings, now 2-2-3, who next face the La Grange Red Devils in an away match on Nov. 12.

Strikers See Exciting Battle Against Peekskill Santos

The Philipstown U12 Strikers fought to the end on Nov. 5 against the Peekskill Santos. With younger PSC players subbing in for absent members, the Strikers remained aggressive throughout the game.

Early in the first half, the Strikers did a great job of holding a tough defensive line, despite incredible speed and footwork by the young Peekskill team. Goalie Ronan Kiter was extremely quick to respond against numerous attempts on goal, and he had backup from the likes of defenders Trajan McCarthy, Luca DiLello and Roth Westphal.

During the second half, the Strikers came on even stronger, working some fancy passing maneuvers while communicating well on offense. Despite the loss, the Strikers exhibited fantastic sportsmanship during the game, and they came away happy to have played a strong, aggressive game against the Santos.

Behind The Story

Type: News

News: Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.

Articles attributed to "staff" are written by the editor or a senior editor. This is typically because they are brief items based on a single source, such as a press release, or there are multiple contributors, such as a collection of photos.