February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
After weathering an early storm in its goalmouth, the two-time champion Harps made it three Bronx Women’s Soccer League titles in a row Saturday with a comprehensive 4-1 victory over the Parlour Moms at Van Cortlandt Park.
The Parlour Moms came out of the gate in fighting form and served up some early nervous moments for the Harps’ normally solid defense. Nevertheless, the excellent Harps central pair of Teresa Brink and Nancy Manfredonia soon closed up shop, and the breakthrough first goal aptly came on 20 minutes from the prolific scoring foot of Lisa Burke. A knock back from forward Sandra Swinburne reached the feet of Jane Rivello, and Burke quickly latched on to Rivello’s magnificent through pass.
On 22 minutes, Hillary Potkewitz showed some signs of things to come with some neat footwork and a shot from just inside the area that narrowly missed the top left corner.
On 25 minutes, Burke dived to meet a cross from the left wing, and her header from close in floated just wide.
As the second half resumed, the game was still balanced. But not for long. Within five seconds of the kickoff, Potkewitz was seen nicely controlling the ball with the right foot and then lofting a shot from all of 40 yards over the head of a beleaguered Parlour Moms keeper.
Burke was again threatening on 40 minutes as she drove into the side netting, and a Manfredonia shot from all of 25 yards went narrowly wide.
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Fifty minutes had passed when Burke again decided that it was time to liven things up in earnest. She took possession of the ball on the right wing and dribbled past two players before unleashing a right foot shot that flew across the goals and past the Parlour Moms keeper, making it 3-0.
Parlour Moms were not to go down without some fight, and some hard work from Mara Kaplan and Karen Rice before Lisa Moore, on 55 minutes, gave them the goal of the game, slamming a 25-yard shot on the run into the roof of the Harps net.
Parlour Moms continued to attack as the game drew to a close, but they were caught on the break as Sandra Swinburne chased down a long clearance and with great ease of effort tapped the ball into the opponent’s goal.
In the final seconds, a parting shot from the wing by Manfredonia, that flew just over, capped a sterling performance and deserved victory for the Harps.
The final words in true presidential style were delivered by the league’s chief of operations, John Moore: "Congratulations to both teams on a terrific performance. This has been a very successful league."
Velocity victorious
It went on forever, it seemed, excruciating to the last second. First a penalty goal by Ned Devines, then a penalty goal by Velocity. Next a Ned Devine’s penalty saved, then a Velocity penalty missed.
This was the penalty shoot-out in the Bronx Women’s Soccer League Shield Final, at Van Cortland Park, Saturday, where the four teams after the top four in the league play to decide on a winner.
Finally, a Velocity player stepped forward and placed the ball in the top left corner, and with it she brought the Manhattan-based team its first trophy in Bronx soccer competition.
It was a tough defeat to accept, however, for Ned Devines, who had battled gamely to a draw in regulation time and had even earned the go-ahead goal in the first half through a deflection after a corner kick from Mags Fitzgerald.
Velocity fought back in the second half through a dynamite free kick by Regina Nejman that dipped just beneath the bar.
This was a sweet victory for Velocity, who had disposed of Sean Ogs on penalty kicks in the semifinals. That penalty kick practice came in handy in the end.
Cup Schedule
Beal Bocht vs. Harps, 9:30 a.m.
Velocity vs. Lansdowne, 11 a.m.
Sean Ogs vs. Ned Devines, 11 a.m.
All games at Van Cortlandt Park.