UNIONDALE, N.Y. – Gianna Paul and Luciana Setteducate scored first-half goals to lead the Long Island Rough Riders as they took over first place of the Metropolitan Division over Morris Elite in a 2-0 USL W League win at Mitchel Athletic Complex on a hot and humid Sunday afternoon.
The victory boosted the Rough Riders (8-0-2, 26 points) into the division lead past Morris Elite (7-1-2, 23) with two matches remaining in the regular season.
Goalkeepers Nicolette Pasqurella (first half) and Natalie Medugno (second) shared the clean sheet, as Morris Elite suffered its first shutout of the season. The visitors have scored a division-best 64 goals, followed by the Rough Riders’ 55. Both teams have conceded only eight goals apiece this campaign.
Seven minutes after the opening kickoff, Paul lifted Long Island into the lead, depositing a rebound of a Setteducate shot past goalkeeper Samantha Constantine. Lia Howard dispossessed a Morris Elite player of the ball and fed Setteducate.
The Rough Riders doubled their lead two minutes into first-half stoppage time. Left back Alexis Vegoda sent in a long, looping cross that Setteducate headed down. The ball bounced up and hit the crossbar and bounded into the net for a 2-0 halftime lead and her 12th goal of the campaign.
Both teams had scoring opportunities, but Constantine thwarted all of the Rough Riders’ efforts.
Morris Elite had a golden opportunity to knot things up in the 33rd minute when the visitors were awarded a penalty kick after LI defender committed a foul in the penalty area.
Juliana Ryan took the PK, which hit the right post. The rebound went back to Ryan, who slotted it into the lower right corner, but an infraction nullified the goal, and the Rough Riders were awarded the ball.
Paul almost made it 3-0 in the 67th minute when her volley just missed going into the net on the right side.
Two minutes later, Ryan again tried to get Morris Elite on the scoreboard as her 28-yard attempt just sailed over the crossbar.
The opposing goalkeepers came up with huge saves within two minutes of one another. Medugno stopped a Morris Elite shot after a turnover in the 77th minute and Constantine denied Howard in the 79th minute.
During a scramble in the box after a corner kick in the 84th minute, Medugno grabbed the ball to keep the visitors off the scoresheet.
Due to the extreme heat, the match had a water break in each half.
Sunday night’s contests was the second of a four-game homestand that will end the regular season for the women.
The Rough Riders will host AC Connecticut on Wednesday, June 26 at 6 p.m. and Cedar Stars Academy on Sunday, June 30 at 3:30 p.m., with the USL W League playoffs looming in July.