Yorktown wins on homecoming in girls soccer

By Mike Sabini
For Yorktown News

After Yorktown played visiting Croton-Harmon to a 0-0 halftime tie, the Huskers busted out for three second-half goals in a 3-0 triumph in its homecoming girls soccer contest.

“We had many opportunities in the first half,” Yorktown coach Rich Armstrong said. “We couldn’t finish. We had a couple of shots right in front of the goal. We just didn’t connect on them.”

Yorktown then made adjustments, moving Ivana Pjetri from striker to midfield, and Sarah Bonner, who was playing center-mid, to left-outside mid in the Oct. 4 contest.

Those adjustments paid off immediately when Alyssa Francese put the Huskers on the board, with the assist coming from Heidi Gspurning.

“That little adjustment seem to give us a little bit more scoring opportunities,” Armstrong said. “Alyssa’s first goal came when it was shot from 20-30 yards out that Heidi took and it was a deflection in the box and Alyssa was there to walk it in. So that got us on the board.”

Pjetri then was open just outside the box from the left-side and was able to play the ball in far post and get both her goals that way unassisted.

Husker goalie Valerie Driscoll made five saves.

Yorktown also played at Mahopac on Oct. 2, losing to the Indians 6-1.

Mahopac got off to a hot start, leading 3-0 at the half and never looked back.

Bonner scored an unassisted goal late in the game for the Huskers (6-4-1) with teammates Joyce Pagliuca making three saves in the first half and Driscoll fives saves in the second half.

Lakeland started the week losing 4-2 to visiting Hendrick Hudson on Oct. 2.

Kelly Weinborg and Michaela Furgeson scored for the Hornets with Carolyn Estrella adding an assist for Lakeland.

Hornet goalie Katelyn Heinrich made seven saves in the first half with teammate Julie Anna Smith garnering eight saves in the second half.

What made the game special for the Hornets was that it was its “All-Pink Game” in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness. The Lakeland players wore pink jerseys, pink ribbons in their hair and pink shoe laces.

“It’s really important to us,” Ferguson said. “A lot of the girls on the team have had friends or family that had breast cancer. I have family that’s had it. We just wanted to show our support and try to get the community involved. Anything we can do to help. It was all very close to hearts. Even though we lost, it was an emotional game for some of the girls.”

Lakeland (3-8) rebounded two days later, winning at Peekskill 3-0.

Ferguson got the Hornets on the board with Estrella earning the assist late in the first half.

“We were dominating and giving each other pretty good passes but they just had four in the back and every time we had the ball they managed to kick it out but as the game went on we were able to make more crosses,” Ferguson said.

Estrella then scored an unassisted goal on a breakaway before halftime to put Lakeland up 2-0.
“It felt pretty good, it was in the air,” Estrella said. “You have to work with the size of the goal keeper so you have to learn where to place it.”

Ferguson then got the Hornets an insurance goal in the second half.

“The third goal, to my advantage, was through the goalie’s legs, it was pure luck on my part,” Ferguson said. “It was off Carolyn’s cross, one touch in.”

Smith made four saves for the Hornets against Peekskill and 17 in a 1-0 loss to visiting Pelham 1-0 on Oct. 5.