NEW ENGLAND MUTINY 2, PHILADELPHIA FEVER 1
Becca Mays continues her penchant for clutch goal scoring, notching the game-winner in the 82nd minute
EAST LONGMEADOW, MA (06/02/12) - The New England Mutiny found themselves in a familiar situation to start their WPSL Elite match vs. the Philadelphia Fever, but discovered the key to victory by its conclusion. As with their previous match vs. Philadelphia (0-3-1 WPSL Elite), New England (2-1-1 WPSL Elite) found themselves in a early hole as they surrendered an 11th minute goal to the Fever's Myriam Bouchard.
The Mutiny would equalize the match at 1-1 with forward Kate Howarth's second goal of the year in the 22nd minute. They would hold the run of play afterwards, but it would take until the 82nd minute for the eventual game-winning goal. Becca Mays would capitalize on a skillful build-up from midfielder Morgan Andrews and Howarth to notch her second goal of 2012 for the 2-1 win for the home side.
"I was very, very happy for Becca Mays today because she has been training very, very well," said New England interim Head Coach Chris Legates. "To have that reward of scoring the winning goal is a tribute to how hard she's worked."
The Mutiny had a bright start to the match as Vicki DiMartino and Andrews tested Philadelphia goalkeeper Michele Dalton in the first five minutes. However, New England would allow another early goal, as the defense has done in three of the first four matches this season.
Bouchard would take advantage of a failed clearance on the right side of the penalty area. Her skillful shot would arc over keeper Vikki Alonzo's hands and inside the far corner for the 1-0 lead for the Fever.
New England would gradually get a hold of the run of play and in the 22nd minute, they would reap what they began to sow. Riley Houle played a short free kick from the left flank to DiMartino, who would drive towards the end line. Her low driven cross would find Howarth, who deftly back-heeled the ball past Dalton for the 1-1 score.
After that, Andrews began to impose her will for the Mutiny on the match. Her possession of the ball would set up a DiMartino scoring chance in the 27th minute and eight minutes later, she would force Dalton to save her shot. In the 40th minute, Tiya Gallegos would have her header blocked off a corner kick from Houle and Andrews was there for the rebound but would miss over the cross bar.
"The speed of play was very fast," said Andrews, who was recently named the 2011-12 Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year. "I really settled in after the first 20 minutes."
The match would be tied at 1-1 going into halftime. The start of the second half would see New England hold possession, but
The Mutiny's Kelsey Hood wins a header over the challenge of the Fever's Brittany Baldwin. (Photo courtesy of G. Skovera)
The Mutiny's Kate Howarth puts defensive pressure on the Fever's Brittany Baldwin. (Photo courtesy of G. Skovera)
Andrews would send a beautifully-weighted ball over the defense to Howarth on the right flank, and the Miami Hurricane star rushed past her defender and sprinted towards the end line. Her finely-struck cross would find Mays at the back post and she would head the ball in for the game-winning goal.
"To us, this result was very important for our psyche," said Legates. "Secondly, I thought a critical part was our response to their first goal. We gave up a difficult goal. But we picked the ball up and put it in midfield and played. Our response was quick and swift and we took over the game at that time."
The Mutiny will travel to face the 2011 WPS Champion Western New York Flash next Saturday, June 9th for a 7:00 PM kick-off at Sahlen's Stadium in Rochester, NY. The next New England home game will be on Sunday, June 24th when they host the WNY Flash at E. Longmeadow H.S. for a 5:00 PM kick-off.
STARTERS (NEM): Alonzo; Brochu, McCormack, Morrison, Maurer; Gallegos, Houle, Hood, Andrews; DiMartino, Howarth. SUBS - Lombard, Reilly, Dakin, Mays, Dimirdjian.
STARTERS (PF): Dalton; Champ, Allen, Bouchard, Oughton; DiClemente, Baldwin, Minnix; Haycook, Jordan, Clemens. SUBS - Braverman, Ratcliffe.
SCORING: NEM - 22' Howarth (DiMartino, Houle); 82' Mays (Howarth, Andrews). PF - 11' Bouchard (unassisted).
SHOTS: NEM - 11; PF - 4.
SAVES: NEM - 3; PF - 7.
CORNER KICKS: NEM - 5; PF - 3.
ATTENDANCE: 473.
About the New England Mutiny: The New England Mutiny are a charter member of the WPSL East Conference, winning five East titles while reaching the WPSL National Final on two occasions. The Mutiny will compete in WPSL Elite in 2012, competing against the Boston Breakers, WNY Flash, New York Fury, Chicago Red Stars, F.C. Indiana, ASA Chesapeake and the Philadelphia Fever. For more information on the team, please visit http://www.MutinySoccer.com or send an e-mail to NewEnglandMutiny@aol.com. AAA (American Automobile Association) of Pioneer Valley & Green Earth Energy Photovoltaic are the Official Team Sponsors of the Mutiny. Visit AAA's official website at http://www.pioneervalley.aaa.com to receive auto insurance discounts & quotes, learn more about AAA Driving School, book special travel discounts, apply for an auto loan and more! Visit Green Earth Energy Photovoltaic's website at http://www.greenearthenergypv.com. You can also follow our team on Twitter and Facebook.
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