The Long Island Rough Riders women face a challenging start to the USL W League season next month.
They play their first four games on the road.
But that doesn’t faze head coach Gerry Lucey.
“It’s not exactly the ideal situation, being on the road for the four of your five away games at the front of the schedule,” Lucey said. “It’s definitely going to be a challenge.”
Lucey noted that the squad won’t be taking very long road trips, playing in Manhattan and New Jersey.
“It’s not like we’re on the road for four or five hours,” he added. “So, we’ll see what the girls are made of.
“I mean, it’s not daunting in any way I’m not afraid of four games on the road.”
The Rough Riders kick off their season at Manhattan SC on Wednesday, May 20 before visiting Morris Elite SC three days late on Saturday, May 23. Long Island will hit the road again to play at New Jersey Copa FC on Saturday, May 30 before playing at the Cedar Stars on Thursday, June 4.
The team will host Morris Elite SC at the Mitchel Athletic Complex in Uniondale, N.Y. on Sunday, June 7 at 3 p.m.
With the “difficult” part of the schedule out of the way, Long Island will play five of their final matches in the friendly confines of Mitchel.
“I look forward to five of the last six games will be at home,” Lucey said. “A lot of experienced players, and they should have it within them to face that challenge and succeed. So, it’s not something in the back of my head that I’m only concerned about.
“Hopefully, we’ll get results and hopefully it will be easier in the home stretch.”
Lucey said that he plans four or five training sessions before the season opener on May 20. Like many other W League teams, the Rough Riders need to wait until college is finished before they can start playing competitively.
“We got about 27 signed, and three or four practice players as well,” he added. “Hopefully everybody’s there first day, and we can kind of get going straight away.”
The Rough Riders women will boast a strong core of women who learned their soccer on Long Island. Saying that, two players from outside the region are expected to help things out.
Micala Boex is a junior forward at North Arizona University. She is coming off a junior season in which she earned Big Sky Conference co-offensive MVP honors and being named second team All-Conference. Boex, who recorded eight goals and six assists for 22 points in 2025, became the program’s first 2o-plus point scorer since 2021.
“She’s a powerful athlete,” Lucey said. “Got a lot of pace and can get in behind the defense.”
Another forward is Blue Ellis, a Tennessee native who played for Vanderbilt University and then for Syracuse University as a graduate student. Ellis has played internationally for Haiti.
“She is a quality athlete and quality player, as well,” he said.
Regardless of where they play, the Rough Riders have been difficult to beat the last several campaigns. They finished atop the Metropolitan Division last year with a 7-3-0 mark while reaching the playoffs.
Of course, that is Lucey’s goal this season. But he has some others, as well.
“I’m excited about seeing how these young women from several clubs on Long Island, such as LISC [Long Island Soccer Club], SUSA, East Meadow, how they can mix in together,” he said. “Hopefully, they’ll be developing their own personal game, and collectively being successful for Long Island and for the Rough Riders.”
Lucey, who is also an assistant coach with the Hofstra University women’s team, can’t wait for the season to begin.
“I’m just excited to start this new chapter, coaching the Long Island Rough Riders,” he said. “I’m sure I’ll learn a lot through this my first year, which hopefully we can do very successfully. But if not as successful, I’ll learn from this year for next year.”
Lucey played for the Rough Riders’ men’s squad back in the day. So he realizes how important it is to be successful.
“It always has been very, very special to me,” he said.
“I’m really proud to be part of the Long Island Rough Righters history. I’m proud to be a current member of the Long Island Rough Riders. And also LISC. It means a lot. Long Island is my is my home in the U.S., and to have that [Rough Riders emblem] on your chest, when you when you’re coaching it really does me well. I’m very proud of being appointed as the head coach. I’m really looking forward to hopefully a good tenure with the team and to be very successful.”
The Women’s team will be hosting Morris Elite SC in its home opener at Mitchel Athletic Complex on Sunday, June 7 at 3 p.m. Buy Tickets.