A Visit From Lycee Francais

On a dark and rainy afternoon this past Wednesday shouts of ALLEZ- ALLEZ, VITE-VITE and ICI-ICI could be heard all around the soccer pitches at Portledge as the Varsity boys and girls teams took on some tough opposition from the sides of the Lycee Francais School of NYC. It turned out to be a day of thrilling "football", as the Europeans say.

What Happened In the Varsity Girls Game?

The girls from LFNY came out to the Island determined to put up a strong "resistance" to the evolving Lady Panther attack. As the game began took take it's shape one could see that the LFNY team was in a defensive posture, with many players staying behind the ball and only a few runners committed up front. The precise Portledge passing was consistently thwarted by a stalwart defensive effort. The few times Portledge was able to develop decent scoring chances in the early going, the slippery conditions could not be overcome, as attempts at goal went flying in all directions. Finally though, in the 25th minute , a quick one-two passing combination between winger Chelsea Caracciolo and striker Alex Siwiec sent Siwiec in through LFNY back line. With defenders draped all over her and tugging at her back, Siwiec kept her focus and calmly deposited the "rock" into the opposing goal. The strike seemed to settle the Portledge side, and they went on to take control, through possession, for the rest of the first half.

The second half was quite different from the first as the LFNY team pushed forward in a more aggressive attack and the game opened up a good deal. This, however, played right into the hands of the Lady Panthers. Sophomore Sweeper Claudia Rogers twice sent perfectly weighted balls over the top of the LFNY defense leading to Portledge goals. The first sent Siwiec in for her second tally of the game, and the second freed up Caracciolo for a beautiful left footed strike that bent around the keeper and settled right into the "back of the ol' onion bag". Rogers was saving the best for last though as she stepped up to direct free kick from about 30 yards out. After a brief peek to see where the goaltender had positioned herself, Rogers unleashed a thunderous drive that powered into the top corner of the net. The Portledge bench responded with a loud cheer as calls of, " yea Claudia " rang throughout the still and murky late day air.

The game ended with a score of 4-0 and certainly illustrated that Portledge has the type of attack that you might be able to hold down for a while, but can't completely stop. The Varsity Girls have the weekend off before they begin preparation for challenging back to back contests at home against Waldorf and Chapin next Wednesday and Thursday. Waldorf is a well coached side that gave Portledge a tough game last year, and Chapin was a NYSAISAA tournament team last year that finished first in the NYC private school girls league. THESE SHOULD BE SOME GREAT MATCHES, SO WE HOPE TO SEE MANY FANS COME OUT AND CHEER THE GIRLS ON!

What About the Varsity Boys Game?

Last year the LFNY varsity boys soccer team won the NYC private school boys soccer league and qualified for the NYSAISAA tournament. Many of those players are back and were on fine display in a hard fought game against the Portledge Panthers. The LFNY side controlled the pace of play with a combination of deft touches and skilled passing, while the Portledge team was content to lay back and defend during the early going. This strategy worked as the stubborn Portledge back line and halfbacks thwarted one LFNY attack after another. When the opposing offense was able to get off a good strike, Portledge keeper Austin Prey was always there to make the save. Prey turned out to be the player of the game as he turned aside 19 shots in all.

The Panthers did have their chances though. Towards the end of the game freshman striker Chris McCloskey was fouled as he attacked down the right wing. McCloskey studied his options as he stood over a free kick just inside the touch line. Junior center back Aaron Lee made a furious run through the heart of the LFNY defense just as McCloskey approached the ball. The youngsters cross was right on the money, but Lee's solid header traveled just over the crossbar. As time ran down, both sides played fairly controlled and the game ended in a 0-0 draw. This seemed to be a just result as both teams had played some excellent soccer in their own respective styles. Coach Kevin Coleman is pleased with the development of his team so far, particularly on the defensive side. He is, however, searching for some way to generate more offensive opportunities.

The Panthers open up IPPSAL play next week with two tough games against SSDS and The Waldorf School on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon. Both these games will be played at Portledge, so come on out and cheer the lads on.