Uniondale, N.Y. – The Long Island Rough Riders complete the comeback in a windy match winning 3-1 in their most important game of the season so for against Morris Elite in their USL W League match Sunday evening.
The Rough Riders finally had their first home game of the season after the four-game road trip in a rematch with Morris Elite. The Rough Riders were looking for revenge dropping the first game earlier in the season losing 5-3. The match also had important implications for the crown of the Metropolitan Division as Morris Elite entered this game in first place with 15 points through five games while the Rough Riders were in second place with nine points through four games.
Weather effects had a notable impact on the play of this match. There was a strong wind blowing hard from one goal to the other. Morris Elite started with the wind at their back and started the scoring early with a goal in the fourth minute. Morris Elite’s Angelina Vargas brought the ball down the right wing before passing the ball to Aminah Baruwa in the edge of the box whose cross trickled out to the top of the box to find Ella Cadigan’s right foot and go bar down, making it 1-0.
Morris Elite continued to the press the issue, but the tides turned in the 30th minute. Long Island forward Luciana Setteducate received the ball with her back to net just outside the attacking box and dumped it to an on-running Micala Boex taking an impressive first touch before drilling the ball into the back of the net tying the game 1-1.
The Rough Riders continued to press their advantage and in the 40th minute Long Island defender Mallory Anderson crossed a ball that hit Morris Elite defender’s Sara Grosibl’s hand in the box giving the Rough Rider’s a penalty kick. Lia Howard walked up to take it and sent the Morris Elite goal keeper the wrong way, scoring the penalty kick taking the lead 2-1.
At half, the teams switched sides and with the wind at their back, the Rough Rider’s scored immediately. Long Island’s Olivia Jungkunst found herself with the ball 30 yards out from goal and shot a rocket that found the back of the net making the score 3-1 in the 46th minute.
The Rough Riders would hold on to the win and improve to 4-1-0 on the season staying in second place in the Metropolitan for now. Morris Elite falls to 5-1-0, but stay in first place. It’ll be a race for first the rest of the season for both teams, whoever is able to score more points will take the division crown. The next applicable tiebreaker if they are tied on points at the end of the season is goal differential, Morris Elite currently leads that category with a +19 goal differential compared to the Rough Rider’s +13.
The Rough Rider’s next game is at home on Wednesday, June 10 at 7:30 PM at Mitchel Athletic Complex against Manhattan SC.
For tickets and more information on the Rough Riders, visit www.LIRoughRiders.com.