Despite being down by a goal to start their Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL) Elite League match against the Philadelphia Fever, the New England Mutiny managed to rally for the home victory. The win allowed New England to improve their record to 2-1-1; Philadelphia now fall to 0-3-1.
As in their previous match with Philadelphia, New England found themselves in an early hole as they surrendered an 11th minute goal to the Fever’s Myriam Bouchard. It was Bouchard’s late goal in the first meeting that pulled Fever back from the brink and gave them the 2-2 draw for their first WPSL Elite point. The Mutiny would equalize the match at 1-1 with forward Kate Howarth’s second goal of the year in the 22nd minute.
They would hold the run of play afterwards, but it would take until the 82nd minute for the eventual game-winning goal. Becca Mays would capitalize on a skillful build-up from midfielder Morgan Andrews and Howarth to notch her second goal of 2012 for the 2-1 win for the home side.
“I was very, very happy for Becca Mays today because she has been training very, very well,” said New England interim Head Coach Chris LeGates. “To have that reward of scoring the winning goal is a tribute to how hard she’s worked.”
The Mutiny had a bright start to the match as Vicki DiMartino and Andrews tested Philadelphia goalkeeper Michele Dalton in the first five minutes.
However, New England would allow another early goal, as the defense has done in three of the first four matches this season. Bouchard would take advantage of a failed clearance by Mutiny defender Casey Morrison on the right side of the penalty area. Her skillful shot would arc over keeper Vikki Alonzo’s hands and inside the far corner for the 1-0 lead for the Fever. New England would gradually get a hold of the run of play and in the 22nd minute, they would reap what they began to sow. Riley Houle played a short free kick from the left flank to DiMartino, who would drive towards the end line. Her low driven cross would find Howarth, who deftly back-heeled the ball past Dalton for the 1-1 score. After that, Andrews began to impose her will for the Mutiny on the match. Her possession of the ball would set up a DiMartino scoring chance in the 27th minute and eight minutes later, she would force Dalton to save her shot.
In the 40th minute, Tiya Gallegos would have her header blocked off a corner kick from Houle and Andrews was there for the rebound but would miss over the cross bar.
“The speed of play was very fast,” said Andrews, who was recently named the 2011-12 Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year. “I really settled in after the first 20 minutes.”
The match would be tied at 1-1 going into halftime. The start of the second half would see New England hold possession, but they could not crack Philadelphia’s defensive system. Mays would be subbed on the pitch for DiMartino in the 80th minute and wouldn’t take long to put her mark on the match. Andrews would send a beautifully-weighted ball over the defense to Howarth on the right flank, and the Miami Hurricane star rushed past her defender and sprinted towards the end line. Her finely-struck cross would find Mays at the back post and she would head the ball in for the game-winning goal.
“To us, this result was very important for our psyche,” said Legates. “Secondly, I thought a critical part was our response to their first goal. We gave up a difficult goal. But we picked the ball up and put it in midfield and played. Our response was quick and swift and we took over the game at that time.”
The Mutiny will travel to face the 2011 WPS Champion Western New York Flash next Saturday, June 9th for a 7:00 p.m. kick-off at Sahlen’s Stadium in Rochester, NY. The next New England home game will be on Sunday, June 24th when they host the WNY Flash at East Longmeadow H.S. for a 5:00 p.m. kick-off. Philadelphia will next see action on Sunday, June 10, when they host the league-leading Boston Breakers at Daniel Boone H.S. in Birdsbond, Penn., starting at 7:30 p.m. Then on Sunday, June 17, Fever will host WNY Flash for a 7:30 p.m. match at Washington Twp. H.S. in Sewell, N.J.
