Sleepy Hollow Football Club: Week 8 Highlights

After refueling over the Memorial Day weekend, Sleepy Hollow Football Club teams took to the field on the June 6&7th weekend prepared to dominate. This was, by far, the hottest weekend we have had this season as temperatures climbed above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Undeterred, players gave it their all and several teams secured the win. Read on for the highlights of the Club’s spring season Week 8.

For more information about SHFC, please visit http://www.sleepyhollowfc.com

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SHFC Varsity Mustangs

The Varsity Girls Mustangs again headed into a premier matchup with only 9 players available against a tough Bronx opponent. Luckily, Ashley Richardson and Isabella Vinces from the three-years-younger Storm agreed to play a second game in the heat and travelled to Randalls Island to bail out their older club mates. The Mustangs started the match with only 9 players, grew to 11 by the 20th minute, and dropped down to 10 for an intra-game bathroom break. The Bronx has the best offense in the league with two star players already enrolled in college. The Mustangs were missing 3 of their usual 4 back line as well as their keeper and half their offense. The Bronx was pressuring early but emergency keeper Maya Weitzen made several saves and the makeshift defense played tough. The Bronx scored first but the Mustangs answered with a pass-back to Talia Fante that resulted in a 40-yard rainbow over their keeper. The game was divided into quarters because of heatwave mandated water breaks and at the end of the third quarter Sophie Sylvester-Berry had to drop out because of heat related symptoms. Shortly thereafter, Melanie Urgiles followed suit. For the final 20 minutes the Mustangs had a 2 man disadvantage and were beaten down by the heat. They gave up two quick goals going down 1-3. Maya was released from goal tending duties and slightly fresher defenders were moved to offense which resulted in two nice but unsuccessful scoring opportunities. The Bronx got one more score to finish off the Mustangs 1-4. The girls have three games left as a team and hope to regroup with two games this weekend. The Mustangs will need more than 9 players to continue to compete at a premier level.

SHFC JV Red Legends

The Boys Junior Varsity Red Legends showed up overconfident and lethargic to their match against Manhattan. Despite best efforts from coaches Frank Mendieta and Cedric Smith to motivate the team, the boys started the game with lackluster effort. Because of their talent they managed several near scoring opportunities which only boosted their confidence even more convincing them they would have an easy win. Unfortunately lack of effort led to failing to clear a Manhattan corner kick and giving up the first goal of the game. Shortly thereafter Manhattan was again threatening and the Red Legends gave up penalty kick to go down 0-2. It was hot and the boys were in trouble. For the next 40 minutes they couldn’t score. With 20 minutes left in the match a pass-back to Andy Pulla resulted in a 30 yard shot over the keeper’s fingers. The boys were rejuvenated and immediately stole the restart and got the ball on a break-away to Aiden Smith who beat the keeper to tie the game. The boys weren’t done and Aiden again broke loose. The keeper came out but was beat when Aiden crossed to Frank Mendieta Jr for the go-ahead score. The visitors lost control after that, having two players ejected for dissent. The Red Legends held on and survived 3 late corner kicks and now have one more game against Landsdowne Yonkers to successfully defend their title.

SHFC Blaze

Venimus, vidimus, vicimus. "We came, we saw, we conquered" which was the Latin motto of the Blaze players as they celebrated their hard-fought 1-0 victory as a team Sunday afternoon over ice cream and Italian ices in the parking lot of Sleepy Hollow High School. Rye was their opponent on the field, as was the heat on a day that saw the thermostat soar well over 94 degrees as the Blaze played against the Rye Running Rock Stars.

Led by coach John Sutherland and Assistant Coach Annette O'Hanlon, the Blaze team was tied 0 - 0 after the first quarter. With no subs, fatigue was a factor as forwards Gemma Fante, Sammi Marvin, and Cassie Jung kept the pressure on the opponent's side of the field but the Rock Star defense kept the game scoreless. Gemma, who handles corner kicks for the Blaze, had several nice ones from both the left and right corners, but the Rock Star defense was up to their nickname denying goals.

In the second quarter, the heat took its toll on the team as the Rock Stars controlled much of the action as midfielders Daisy Star, Lizzie Molina, and Ellie Fox and were forced to fall back and help defenders Zoey Murphy, Juliana Marvin, Meghan O'Hanlon and Jhoselyn Pugo to keep the Rock Stars from getting clean shots on goal.

The score remained scoreless through three quarters, thank to Blaze goalie Emily Aridas who had one fully outstretched diving block of a hard shot in the quarter and later blocked a shot on a 1 v 1 situation, using soft hands to hold onto a shot and then leaping over the opposing striker. A beautiful save and sore ribs were her rewards on the play which helped ensure the third clean sheet in as many games for the tightening Blaze defense.

In the fourth quarter, some beautiful passing from Meghan O'Hanlon to Lizzie Molina and then onto Jhoselyn Pugo placed Jhoselyn in a great position to score. The Rock Star defense fouled her just inside the 20 yard line. On the ensuing free kick taken by Zoey Murphy, due to her extremely strong and accurate kicking leg, several Blaze players were running into the goalie box in case of a rebound opportunity. There was no need however, as Zoey's kick soared over the leaping glove hand of the Rock Star goalie putting the Blaze ahead 1-0. The team ran out the remaining 3 minutes of play, and had earned their 3 points.

Celebrating their victory with ice cream and Italian ices afterwards, the team is looking forward to next week’s redemption match against Premier League rival Castleford Ravens scheduled for Sunday at 2 PM in Byrum Hills.

FUSION, SHFC's boys 2008 team, clinched their third straight division championship with a 3-2 victory at the Lansdowne Yonkers Meteors.
First half goals from Sean Mackiewicz and Jayden Perez saw Fusion ahead 2-1 at halftime. Into the second half, a flurry of attempts from Josh Ortiz resulted in the team's final score. Many more attempts from Kieran Degen, Sebastian Londono, Raul Socualaya, Luke Tonaj, Eoghan Glynn, Dylan Largo and Ian Papadopoulos missed their mark or were saved by the Meteors' rotation of goalies. Fusion goalie Jonathan Figeroa performed well against the Meteors' many fast-paced offensive presses, as did the defensive play of Luca Simbana, Bruno Flores, Alessandro Soto, Luca Dominguez and Edwin Dutan.

Coaches Mackiewicz and Degen saw their team give a great effort in the sun and heat. With players rotating in and out to hydrate and cool off, Fusion's communication and teamwork were really on display this week. Kudos to Fusion for another division win!

SHFC Red Fury

On a hot and humid day, the Red Fury dominated the Rye Brook Fire on Saturday with an 8-2 win. This was a make-up game, and the Red Fury once again displayed excellent teamwork, ball possession, and passing. In the first half, a pass by Sofia Cruz to Rachel Richardson opened up the scoring. The Fire posed an early threat, but goalie Meghan McMahon had some big saves. Lauren Monachelli connected with Sofia who scored the first of her three during this game. Maiyumi Marcus-Kanesaka, Meadow Gurreri, and Natalie Coffman played excellent defense, breaking up several attacks. Brianne Rodriguez and Rachel Richardson, playing midfield, excelled in taking the ball away from the Fire and moving it up the line. One of the exciting plays during the first half was when Mia Gurreri intercepted a pass, dribbled it up the field, and passed it to Lauren who took a shot on goal. Her shot deflected off the goalie but Brianne was there and curled it into the box. Shortly after, Rye gave up a handball outside the goal box which Sofia took and scored.

In the second half, the Red Fury dominated possession. A pass by Meghan, now playing left forward, to Sofia resulted in another goal and a hat-trick for Sofia. Excellent passing by Lauren produced the next goal as she connected with Meghan for her first of three as well. Brianne had a beautiful attempt at the 30-yard line and Mia and Meadow ensured that the ball stayed on the Fire's side of the field. The last two goals for the Red Fury were made by the Julia Maad and Meghan connection. Julia had 2 big interceptions and pushed the ball forward, passing to Meghan who scored goals 7 and 8 respectively and earning her hat-trick.

In their second game of the weekend, the Red Fury played a gruelling game against the Chappaqua Dynamite to a decisive victory of 3-0. In the first half of the game, both teams pressed each other to find an advantage. Both teams excelled in play making, passing, and movement. Although the Dynamite had several shots on the Red Fury goal, Rose Ritz did a great job keeping the game scoreless. Defenders Maiyumi Marcus-Kanesaka, Sawara Ketkar, and Natalie Coffman began breaking up the Dynamite's plays. Brianne Rodriguez and Rachel Richardson playing midfield opened attack lanes. Eventually, the Red Fury found their groove. Meghan McMahon, playing center forward, began penetrating the Dynamite's defense. Crossing the ball from the left side of the goal box to the center, she found Lauren Monachelli who had a tremendous strike. The Dynamite goalie stopped the strike, but this was only the beginining of Red Fury's began attack. Shortly after, Julia Maad flying up the left wing crossed the ball to Meghan who kicked a screamer towards goal. The Dynamite goalie again blocked the ball, but during the rebound Lauren drove it into the net. This was the first of 2 goals for Lauren. Before halftime, Lauren capitalized on an error by the Dynamite's defense. Running up the center, she struck in another goal, earning a brace.

The second half opened with a beautiful pass by Rachel to Sofia Cruz who kicked it in for the Red Fury's final goal of the game. Mia and Meadow Gurreri did a great job stymying the Dynamite's attacks. There was another exciting opportunity for the Red Fury to score when Meghan ran the ball down the field and passed to Sofia who struck the ball. The ball unfortunately found the post and bounced away. Maiyumi, now playing goalie, had two big saves during the second half. One of the saves saw her deflect the Dynamite's kick, scramble on the ball, and drop on it with her body.

With these two wins, the Red Fury currently sits third in their bracket. There are only two games left for this season. Go Red Fury! Red Fury is coached by Katie McMahon.

SHFC Red Bandits

On a 90 degree day, and coming in as the undefeated favorites, the 2010 Girls Red Bandits suffered a disappointing defeat against the Croton Blaze on Sunday, June 6, 2021, at Carrie E. Tompkins Elementary School. Eli Impastato, had a number of amazing saves, using her entire body to block multiple attempts by the Blaze. The Blaze, however, with a home field advantage, were able to pick up three goals in the first quarter.

Also during the first quarter, keeper, Sabrina Graham, scored the only goal for the Bandits, on a crossover pass from forward, Katie Yalmokas. The ball, which sailed over the keeper’s hands and bounced opportunely into the goal, helped boost the morale of the Bandits going into the second half.

During the second half, despite the determination and effort of captain, Mackenzie Linhart, and the defensive line of Lily Glynn, Natalia Hargrave and Melodie Molina, the Blaze were able to sneak two goals over the head of keeper, Sabrina Graham, bringing the score to 5-1. Mackenzie Linhart was all over the field, moving the ball back towards the Blaze goal multiple times, offering much needed assistance to the keepers throughout the game. Mila Gallagher, Marianna Patsch, Katie Yalmokas, and Ada Chalfy tried multiple times to convert, but the Bandits were frustrated for most of the blazing hot afternoon.

The Bandits also had some amazing moments; with her amazing strength, Lily Glynn made several beautiful kicks, one almost reaching the Blaze goal line. Natalia Hargrave was able to break the ball away from the Blaze offensive line multiple times. Noa Levine made several well placed passes and one great attempt at goal. Ada Chalfy, Marianna Patsch, Mackenzie Linhart, and Mila Gallagher were moving and running, for the entire length of the game, showing amazing heart on a day when there were no substitutes, and the Bandits suffered multiple injuries. Despite the loss, the character and determination of each and every team member was on full display.

The Bandits also miss defensive player, Marley DeFilippis, and they are hoping she is able to rejoin them soon!

Notwithstanding multiple attempts from the Bandits, unfortunately, the Blaze had the momentum, and they were able to defeat the Bandits by a a score of 6-1, ending their undefeated streak. Fortunately, the loss still leaves the Bandits in first place in the standings going into their final game of the season against Shrub Oak Inferno.

CHAOS, SHFC's 2011 girls team, travelled to Rye to meet the Reds in Sunday's late afternoon heat. The teams were evenly matched and played an exciting game. Arlee and Savannah shared goalie duties, skillfully keeping most shots at bay in a fast-paced game. Great job to Claire, Rebecca, Saffron, Ella, Evelyn, Ali, Kaylee, Amelia and Zoe in this team effort. Ella's goal in the game's final minutes was the equalizer in this 2-2 finish.

Coach Judkins has seen his team really improve upon their skills this spring. They close out the season on Sunday on their home turf of WI School.
Great job, Chaos!

SHFC All Reds

The Boys U10 All Reds battled the heat all weekend long with a make-up game on Saturday and a regularly scheduled game on Sunday. In the tall grass at WI, the boys in red managed to get past Mahopac on Saturday with a solid 4-2 win. Multiple goals by Matthew Zhuzhingo sealed the W. On Sunday, the All Reds started out hot and had a 2-0 lead on in town rival Greenburgh before the sun and heat chipped away at their resolve and Greenburgh was able to get a few goals and hand the home squad the L. There was some good soccer played (and some soccer we’d like to forget about) under less than ideal conditions, but the boys continue to work hard and show steady improvement.

SHFC Gators

Coming off an admirable performance against some of the best competition in the Tri-State at Fishkill Memorial Day Tournament, the Gators returned to their home field and league play on Sunday 6/6, looking to preserve their undefeated record against the U9 Patriots from Yonkers.

In what proved to be somewhat of a wakeup call for the host Gators, the Patriots managed to strike first, taking a 1-0 lead early in the contest. Showing no panic, the Gators began to apply their relentless style of play that has become their calling card as the season has progressed. This resulted in 3 unanswered goals in the first half. Evie M struck first, followed by Oli M, and then Siena S on a crisp assist from Ella P. The Gators took the 3-1 lead with them into halftime.

Early in the second half, the Patriots clawed back with a goal of their own, making the score 3-2. Cheered on by the 2011 SHFC All Reds, the Gators again responded with two goals of their own, both by Siena S, one of which was assisted on a beautiful throw in by Oli M. The Patriots did not go quietly however, answering with two quick goals to make the score a very competitive 5-4. The Gators managed to keep the Patriots off the board for the remainder of the contest, securing a 5-4 victory in front of the home crowd.

Again, showing these girls are a team first, they took the time after the game to serenade birthday girl, and key defender Ellis L with an upbeat rendition of The Happy Birthday song.

The Gators will take to their home field again on 6/13, playing host to the Eastchester Dash.