Rough Riders Women Capture Their Division
Long Island captured the USL W League’s Metropolitan Division title with an impressive 10-0-2 record. Under head coach Matt Lannon’s guidance, the women triumphed in their Eastern Conference semifinal match against Eagle FC in Mechanicsburg, Pa., on July 5, winning 2-1. Luciana Setteducate and Lia Howard each scored for the Riders. However, just two days later, on July 7, the Riders were eliminated from the playoffs after suffering their first defeat of the season, losing 3-0 to NC Courage U23 (13-0-1) in the conference final. Howard was named team MVP after scoring 10 goals in 11 matches, ranking 14th in the league. Midfielder Millie Davies was voted Players’ Player of the Year by her teammates, while Nora Basile was recognized as the Riders’ Young Player of the Year.
Rough Riders Men Capture Their Division
Like their women’s counterparts, the Rough Riders men celebrated winning the Metropolitan Division title in USL League Two with a 9-1-2 record. Coached by Chris Megaloudis, the men were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round, losing 3-1 to Vermont Green FC in Ocean City, N.J. Forward Jacob Labovitz netted a hat-trick to lead Vermont Green FC, with Nigel Prince opening the scoring in the 25th minute off a Daniel D’Ippolito corner kick. Justin McLean, who led the Metropolitan Division in goal-scoring with seven, was named team MVP. Center midfielder Eoin Farrell was voted Players’ Player of the Year, and defender-midfielder Kieran Chandler was selected as Young Player of the Year.
Getting the Golden Boot
Luciana Setteducate secured the USL W League Golden Boot with 18 goals and was also named to the league’s Team of the Year First Team. The Bellmore, N.Y., native followed up her stellar season with an impressive performance for Stony Brook University, scoring 12 goals and assisting on eight others. On Nov. 8, Setteducate, a junior forward, scored the first goal in the Seawolves’ 2-1 win over Monmouth University, clinching their first Coastal Athletic Conference title. The victory earned Stony Brook a spot in the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Tournament for the first time since 2021.
Rising to the Occasion
Several Rough Riders players stood out for their college teams this past fall, with two earning major honors in Division I. Gianna Paul of the University of Alabama, after earning All-Southeast Conference honors for the second consecutive year, was named a United Soccer Coaches All-American, selected to the Fourth Team. Paul, a junior from Huntington Station, N.Y., also earned All-Southeast Conference First Team honors after a breakout season, scoring a career-high 12 goals and recording 25 points. Hofstra University junior midfielder Millie Davies was named to the Coastal Athletic Conference First Team. The Manchester, England, native finished the regular season with five goals and five assists, setting new career highs. Former Rough Riders goalkeeper Wessel Speel had a standout season at Duke University, earning first-team All-American honors. The Utrecht, Netherlands, native was also named one of 15 semifinalists for the Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy Award. Speel helped Duke to an 11-4-4 record, allowing only 18 goals in 19 matches and recording seven shutouts.
Finding Some Fame
Chris Armas, a member of the Rough Riders’ 1995 U.S. Interregional Soccer League championship team, was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame via the veterans’ ballot. Currently the coach of the Colorado Rapids, Armas was known as one of the best defensive midfielders in MLS during his playing days. He played for the Chicago Fire, winning the 1998 MLS Cup and the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, and earned 66 caps for the U.S. Men’s National Team.
Mining Some Gold
It was a golden year for former Rough Riders coach Hayes, whose U.S. Women’s National Team captured its fifth Olympic gold medal in Paris. The Americans won all of their matches, outscoring their opponents. Hayes, who coached the Lady Riders in 2002, was awarded the Ballon d’Or as the top women’s coach before being named FIFA’s Best Women’s Coach of the Year.
Making Friends with Bermuda
Two youth soccer teams from Bermuda visited Long Island in April to play friendlies against their Rough Riders counterparts, while also learning about American soccer culture and forging connections between the two clubs. Players from FC Bascome Bermuda, a prominent soccer club on the island, brought their U-9 and U-11 squads to face the Rough Riders’ youth teams. “Soccer transcends politics, geography, and language,” said Rough Riders General Manager Tanner Sands. “It’s a way to connect people in a very open and diverse world. We’re happy to provide an experience where youth players from two very different places can bond through soccer. We’re excited to host this group and share what Long Island, New York, and the greater metro area have to offer, both in terms of sport and culture.”
A First Time for Everything
Former Rough Riders midfielder Jessica Garziano signed with Brooklyn FC of the USL Super League during the summer and quickly made an impact. She was named the USL W-League Player of the Week after scoring the first goal in club history during Brooklyn’s inaugural away match against Spokane Zephyr FC on Sept. 8. Garziano also scored the opening goal in Brooklyn’s 2-0 home win over Dallas Trinity on Sept. 25, earning her Player of the Month honors.
A Second Time for Everything
Former Rough Riders defender Sean Nealis made history as the second New York Red Bulls player to score in an MLS Cup final. However, despite his goal, Nealis and the Red Bulls left Dignity Health Sports Park empty-handed, losing 2-1 to LA Galaxy on Dec. 7. “A lot of pain, a lot of heartbreak,” said Nealis in the somber Red Bulls locker room. Nealis, a Massapequa, N.Y., native, played center back alongside his brother Dylan, a former Rough Rider, during the postseason. Interestingly, the first Red Bull to score in an MLS final was another former Rough Rider, John Wolyniec, who scored in the 2008 final, a 3-1 loss to the Columbus Crew.
Caught in the SuperDraft
Seven Rough Riders men’s players from the past three seasons were selected by MLS teams in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft on Dec. 20. The list included: Sam Sarver (FC Dallas), Jansen Miller (Sporting Kansas City), Nico Cavallo (New York City FC), Nick Dang (Real Salt Lake), Kieran Chandler (Minnesota United), CJ Williams (New England Revolution), and Jacob Woznicki (LA Galaxy).
Written by Michael Lewis