Written by Michael Lewis
UNIONDALE, N.Y. – The Long Island Rough Riders scored early and often to register an 8-0 victory over the Westchester Flames in their USL W League season opener at Mitchel Athletic Complex on Sunday afternoon.
The front line of Alyse Then, Lia Howard and Luciana Setteducate tallied two goals apiece. Fiona Killian and Madison Micheletti added one each for the Rough Riders (1-0) in the Metropolitan Division match.
Starting goalkeeper Nicolette Pasqurella and Gabriella Terranova, who came on in the 70th minute, combined for the clean sheet against the Flames (0-1).
The Rough Riders stormed to a 6-0 halftime lead.
It didn’t take long for the hosts to score their first goal; Killian found the net on the right side, off a Howard assist, in the seventh minute.
Howard doubled the lead in the 10th minute. Goalkeeper Megan Sical saved her shot, and a Westchester defender blocked Setteducate’s close-range attempt, but Howard slotted home the rebound.
About 30 seconds after Sical tipped away Setteducate’s shot, the Rough Riders forward buried a 10-yard shot into the right corner for a three-goal advantage in the 22nd minute.
Long Island was far from finished, as Alyse Then finished off a 2-on-1 break with Setteducate for a 4-0 margin in the 25th minute.
Then produced perhaps the most impressive goal of the opening half, as she slid to chip the ball over Sical from 10 yards for a 5-0 lead in the 31st minute.
Howard converted her brace in the 37th minute, beating the keeper from 10 yards on a 1 v 1 situation en route to a six-goal advantage.
The Flames rarely held possession at the Rough Riders’ end in the first half. Their most dangerous opportunity came in the ninth minute, when Pasqurella caught Leah Rifas’ shot when she came in 1 vs. 1.
After the visitors held off the Rough Riders for the opening 18 minutes of the second half, Setteducate dribbled through the Westchester defense and scored from close range to increase the margin to 7-0 in the 63rd minute.
Three minutes later, Sical tipped away Lexi Vegoda’s attempt from the left side.
Long Island head coach Matt Lannon cleared his bench in the second half, giving his reserve players considerable playing time.
Micheletti, a halftime substitute, closed out the scoring in the 84th minute by hooking in a shot from the right flank.
The host side dominated the second half, but Sical was up to the task, denying the Riders on several occasions.
The Rough Riders’ next game is away at the Manhattan Soccer Club on Thursday, May 23, at 7:30 p.m.
They will return to Mitchel to play Manhattan SC on Wednesday, June 5, at 7:30 p.m.
To keep up with all Rough Riders action, visit www.LIRoughRiders.com.