Written by Michael Lewis

UNIONDALE, N.Y. – The Long Island Rough Riders women captured the Metropolitan Division crown and clinched a berth in the USL W League playoffs behind an emphatic 5-0 victory over Paisley Athletic at a rainy Mitchel Athletic Complex on Wednesday night.

Team captain Kimberly Marra bagged a brace and Nicole Gordon scored one goal and set up another. Anna Cacciuttolo and Jessica Garziano added single tallies for the Rough Riders (30 points), who improved to 10-1-0 while Pasiley Athletic (8) fell to 1-5-5.

Goalkeeper Natalie Medugno (Oceanside, N.Y.) an Mackenzie Sullivan (Peoria, Ariz.) backstopped Long Island’s fourth clean sheet of the season. Only a minute prior to being subbed, Medugno snared Jeanine Nunez’s shot from distance, for her best save of the night. Sullivan denied Kennedi Cotter in a 1 v 1 situation in the 70th minute and again in the 88th minute.

A good portion of the first half was played in the Paisley Athletic end as the hosts refused to allow their foes to get any rhythm going.

It eventually paid off, in the 14th minute.

The Rough Riders drew first blood when Marra (Sayville, N.Y.) latched onto Gordon’s short through ball and beat goalkeeper Odaliana Gomez from six yards.

Later in the half, Gordon (Amityville, N.Y.) was on the receiving end of a pass as Nina Carlomusto (Hicksville, N.Y.) set up a spectacular, highlight reel goal. Carlomusto launched a 40-yard free kick from just inside the center circle to Gordon, who finished with an eight-yard header for a two-goal advantage in the 27th minute.

Three minutes into the second half, the Rough Riders increased their lead to three goals. Gordon forced Gomez to rush her pass from the net. Garziano (Melville, N.Y.) gained possession of the ball and slipped a pass to halftime substitute Cacciuttolo (Levittown, N.Y.), who slammed it into the net.

The Rough Riders weren’t finished finishing as Garziano converted Ashley Ladner’s (Oceanside, N.Y.) left-wing cross from about 10 yards for a 4-0 margin in the 55th minute.

Marra put an exclamation point on the win with her second goal, converting a nice passing combo from 10 yards in the 79th minute.

Marra almost recorded a hat-trick, but Gomez parried away her attempt in the 83rd minute.

Long Island, which has outscored its opposition, 42-12, this season, will close out the regular season at the Cedar Stars (7-2-1, 22) on Saturday, July 1 at 4 p.m.