“…playing the game that we love.” — Lady Bulldog Isabel Nearing”

LAKE HUNTINGTON, NY — If you listened really, really closely, or turned your radio up, you could almost hear Paul Simon singing one of his signature songs from 1977.

On Friday, September 28 the girls varsity non-league soccer match between the home team Sullivan West Lady Bulldogs (5-2-1) and the Eldred Lady Yellowjackets (1-3) was both a contest in the mud and a revenge fest, as Sullivan West defeated their rivals 5-3 after being wiped out by the visitors three games to zip in regulation play last season

While it’s hard to compare teams from one year to the next—think graduating senior student athletes—the victory had to be sweet indeed.

So no matter how you sliced it, a win is a lot better than the taste of the ashes of defeat.

The first half finished in a 3-3 tie, as both squads fought hard toward the finish line, although that was still 40-mintues in the future.

Eldred’s Lenae Kelty scored the opening goal at the 12:45 mark, followed at 14:59 by Tallula Gann’s goal for the home team.

The next three goals came in rapid succession: Kelty for Eldred (21:28), Sam Becker for Sullivan West (22:23) and Sullivan West’s Caitlin Brockner (22:55).

With mere seconds remaining in the first frame Annie Davis tied it up for Eldred at 39:11.

As the battle raged across the wet field, the Lady Bulldogs scored a couple of unanswered goals in the second half: Josephine Martinez (32:55) and at 36:51 Becker added the final touch to the home-stand win.

SWCS stats: 5 goals, 29 shots, 21 shots on goal, 2 corner kicks, 13 keeper saves by Isabel Nearing. Assists: Arieon Frazica, Martinez, Brockner, Gann.

ECS stats: 3 goals, 18 shots, 16 shots on goal, 4 corner kicks, 3 keeper saves by Kaitae Mohanig. Assists: Kelty, Jissela Labuda.

Eldred’s coach Sonia Kidney said her team has been hampered so far this year by a lack of games due to heat, rain, school threats at Monticello High that forced the cancellation of two matches and refs not being available.

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