ELDRED, NY — It’s tough to play a game when you take to the field of competition with no marks in your team’s win column in the scorebook.

On October 11, that’s exactly what happened, as the “so far this season”-winless Lady Comets of Fallsburg arrived at the Home of the Yellowjackets, to take on the Eldred girls’ varsity squad. 

The home team won, 1-0, and the game impressed this sports scribbler with its spirit of sportsmanship and competitiveness from both sides of the bench.

Fallsburg’s team boasts a host of Spanish-speaking booters, and the mellifluous bilingual tones of English and Spanish mixed fluidly as the Lady Comets on the bench cheered their comrades during the match.

The game remained scoreless, until at 22:49 in the final frame, Eldred freshman Avery Moscatiello stepped up to the plate and won the match for the home team.

Stats snapshot: keeper saves—Eldred’s Grace Loretto 6, Fallsburg’s Emily Perna 15; and corner kicks—Eldred 4, Fallsburg 3.

“We’re trying to work on getting commitment, the team working better together, and communication… we haven’t won a game so far,” said Jordan Lepes, coach of the visiting Lady Comets (0-8) after the match.

Fallsburg’s girls’ varsity soccer squad is captained by a trio of seniors: Allison Perna, Carla Granados and Olga Gonzalez.

Eldred’s booters (5-5 overall, 2-0 league) are helmed by Samantha “Sami” Clemmons, a 2018 graduate of the local high school and former keeper of the goal.

“We have a really young team… I think we have progressed nicely, and I’m seeing more skill and aggression which I’m happy about,” she said. “I see the girls learning from practice.”

The Lady Yellowjackets field three seniors: Grace Loretto (captain), Molly McKerrell (captain) and Sam Murray.

And speaking of a coach who knows a thing or two about the trials and tribulations of protecting the net, Clemmons said of Grace Loretto, Eldred’s keeper, “Grace has come a long way this season.”