Soccer

Lady Panthers on the prowl

Monticello shows offense versus hard-working Eldred in Tri-Valley tourney opener

By RICHARD A. ROSS

GRAHAMSVILLE, NY — Both Eldred and Monticello struggled in 2006, so the agenda in their season opener on September 4 was to improve their ability to pass, mark up, play strong in the midfield and control the flow of the game.

The two teams are regular contenders in the annual Tri-Valley tournament, but this year’s game was far more competitive than last year’s 9-0 rout by the Lady Panthers. Monticello had a pre-season scrimmaging against John S. Burke Catholic, but for this was Eldred’s first chance at live action.

Monticello lost nine key players to graduation including Mayor’s Cup Trophy Winner and Best Senior Female Athlete award winner Te’neshia Washington.

For head coach Paul David, that means starting over with a younger and less experienced team. Senior Carly Bulaga returns as a key weapon on the front line. Bulaga had two of Monticello’s four goals in the opener and just missed another, as Eldred goalie Rachel Smith held on for a point blank save late in the second half.

Also key to David’s attack will be junior Saige Kashan, who showed speed and great instincts in her varsity debut. Kashan had a goal and kept pressure on Eldred’s defense most of the afternoon. Other weapons include senior Ty’nessa Washington, juniors Nyoki Tate and Andrea Drollinger, the makings of a potential strike force.

Key parts of David’s youth movement include goalie Theresa Fuoto and freshman Jessica Stant, who has great goal-tending experience from her travel team experience with Liberty United and Warwick. She made a great stop on a ball blasted by Eldred’s Maxine Ellert.

Other Lady Panthers in the mix are sophomores Anastasia Bowden, Mandee Heal and Stephanie Niforatos, junior Shatasia and Shamay Koen, and Chelsea Brennan.

Rounding out the squad are seniors Melissa Stefanuk and Katie Green, freshman Samantha Stawarz and Krista Mangabang, who is sidelined after sustaining a serious head injury in a car crash in August. Mangabang is currently helping the team with scorekeeping.

Defense has always been Monticello’s mainstay, but the Lady Panthers have struggled in the past to find offensive players who could finish. Monticello overcame some early missed opportunities to get on top and stay there over an Eldred squad that is going to be much better as the season rolls on.

Eldred lost players to graduation too, but coach Jolene Porter returns a corps of talented players who hustle and never quit. Three seniors that will anchor this year’s squad include Paulinna Renggli, Megan Patterson and Celia Oset.

In sophomore forward Christina Watts, Eldred has one of the speediest weapons in the area. Watts, who is a first-class sprinter in track, broke free of Monticello’s defenders, but will need help up front to become a scoring threat.

Added experience comes from juniors Sam Allesandra, Maxine Ellert, Sara Bisland, goalie Rachel Smith and Melissa Westfall.

Rounding out the remainder of Eldred’s squad are sophomores Rachel Hofaker, Lauren Hazen, Shannon Hanson, Lauren Alves and Jill Harris. Meg Hazen is the team’s sole freshman.

For the first five minutes, the teams neutralized each other in the midfield and 10 minutes passed before Monticello recorded its first shot on goal by Kashan. She followed that with another shortly thereafter.

Eldred players were waiting for the ball to come instead of running through it, and Porter instructed them to become more aggressive in trying to win balls.

Monticello had early issues with three offsides calls. Washington had a clear shot at the goal, but neglected to make an extra touch and shot it wide. But with 12:59 to go in the first half, Niforatos picked up a ball from Washington and fired it under the legs of Smith for the game’s first score.

Ellert got a breakaway for Eldred but couldn’t convert. With 5:09 to go, Bulaga got her first goal on an assist from Kashan and made it 2-0 at the half. During that period, Eldred recorded six saves to Monticello’s two.

Drollinger got Monticello’s first shot in the second half, but Eldred nearly scored a short time later as the team suddenly found life and held the ball in the Monticello end. Early in the second half, Eldred definitely got the better of Monticello, beating the Lady Panthers to the ball often. Eldred’s persistence paid off with 23:20 to go as Patterson drilled on by Fuoto, with an assist from Ellert, to make it 2-1. Allesandra and Renggli showed great hustle in the middle.

“If you don’t go to the ball, you won’t get the ball,” shouted David. A push called against Stant led to a penalty kick by Meg Hazen, whose shot sailed over the top of the crossbar, missing a chance to tie the game with 17:08 remaining.

Lauren Hazen was doing a good job of controlling the ball in Eldred’s end, but Bulaga picked up a ball from Katie Green with 11:22 to go for her second goal to make it 3-1. A quick cross nearly netted another on a miss by Heal.

Kashan had the last goal of the day with 7:10 remaining on an assist from Heal to make it 4-1.

David credited his team with good defense and some nice passes. “We did a solid job of running our set plays but we need to work on aiming our shots for the far post,” he said.

Porter was pleased with her team’s play, especially in the second half. “We played well defensively, but we need work in the midfield. We’re still moving a lot of people around.,” said Porter.

Eldred lost to Fallsburg on September 5, to Chester on September 7 and to Port Jervis on September 8, giving them a 0-4 season start.

The Lady Yellowjackets fell 3-1 to Tri-Valley in the consolation game of the Tri-Valley tournament on September 10. Monticello lost 5-0 to Ellenville for the tourney title in the late game. Monticello was slated to travel to Liberty on September 11.

Visit riverreportersports.com for an album of game photos.