July 23, 2009 TAKING IT TO THEM Big 2nd-half powers Fury in semis
Vicki DiMartino scored one goal and set up a second for the Long Island Fury in its 2-0 win over the New England Mutiny. Photo by Dennis Madigan
Garden City, L.I. -- After watching his team underachieve in the first half against the New England Mutiny on Wednesday night, Long Island Fury coach Paul Riley told his team to open things up in the final 45 minutes.
"I said to them at halftime, 'We were so defensive in the first half trying to stop them. Just open the game up. Knock some balls. Let Jasmyne [Spencer] go, let vicki [DiMartino] go, let Cari [Roccaro] go. Let's just put them on their heels and see what they're made of. Take the chance and go after them. We're at home. They're expecting us to take the game to them. Let's not disappoint them in the second half. Let's take everything to them."
The Fury listened.
Long Island struck twice within a five-minute span midway through the second half and recorded a 2-0 victory in the Women's Premier Soccer League Eastern Conference semifinal at Competition Field at Adelphi University. DiMartino set up Spencer's goal in the 61st minute and scored hers in the 66th minute.
The Fury wore down the Mutiny, which eliminated Long Island from last year's playoffs, a 4-2 loss.
"We probably did that in our last three-four games," Riley said. "We seem to wear teams down here on the big field. We talk a lot before the game of being energetic, being young and keeping the pace of the game high. We let the pace of the game drop too early. The pace was too slow. The referee was blowing his whistle every two minutes, killing the game.
"I thought they were a bit lethargic, almost complacent, almost they like they thought we would wear them down. we've won a lot of second halves."
Riley felt the critical thing was to get midfielders Molly Bruh and Kelly Henderson, the team captain, the ball more.
"They were able to find Vicki, Jas and Cari. If you find those three, you're going to get goals from it. . . . We always felt if we got one we would win the game because I don't think any team can keep us off the scoreboard."
He also praised the play of midfielder Madison Haller and defender Alaina Beyar, who marked midfielder Jenny Maurer (Boston College) forward Erin Clark (University of Connecticut), respectively.
Riley said Maurer was "probably their best player. She never let her alone. She didn't get a kick of the ball. She's a very, very good player. That was key."
So was Beyar shutting down Clark on the left wing. "Alaina Beyar was probably our best player on the field," Riley said.
Next up is the Millburn Magic on Saturday, although as of early Thursday morning, a venue had not been decided upon. Riley was hoping that Adelphi would be the site of the conference final.
The Fury defeated the Magic earlier this season, 5-0.
Riley said the five-goal bulge in the game which "was not a good omen to me. I don't like that. I wish we would have actually lost of tied. We're playing at home with a bit of revenge on the horizon."
If the Fury gets past the Magic, the team will reach the WPSL Final Four, which it will host at Adelphi on Aug. 1-2.
"There were 56 teams when we started," Riely said. "There were 16 when we started this round. We're down to eight. We're the only team that can play at home after 56 teams have started this thing. We've been home the whole way."
