The slow and frustrating progress of the spring soccer season for Mineola's U-14 girls' soccer has manifested itself in several ways. Eight weeks after the start of the season The Magic were playing only their second League game on Saturday May 3. The weather delays this spring have caused intense competition for fields to play on. The soccer nets have already come down and the baseball diamonds have been groomed in Wilson Park. To make way for the national pastime, the girls were relegated like poor relations to the field behind the Mineola pool. The village reserves this field for club and tavern teams. There the dust devils danced in all of the bare patches where grass should have grown. The coaches spent the pre-game picking shards of broken glass and the larger rocks off of the field. During the match, everyone watched helplessly as balls careened off of the hard pan that passed for a field and sailed over the chain link fences. The only thing missing in this third world scene was an embedded reporter and the CNN crawl at the bottom of the picture. Complaints about the condition of Field #3 to the new village administration will be forthcoming.

But The Magic's girls were troopers. After getting over the initial shock of their demotion to Field #3, they were just happy and excited to be playing soccer, anywhere. The 2-1 win over their old Division 6W rival Auburndale on March 29 on the cold windswept parade ground of Fort Totten in Bayside seemed ages ago. The top three Division 6W teams (The Mineola Magic [9-1-0], the Oceanside Ruckus [7-3-0] and Auburndale Dusc [7-3-1]) had all moved up this spring to Division 5W based on their fall records. So even though it took The Magic a little while to get on track in that first game against Auburndale, at least they knew what they were up against. This week's game was going to be different. The Magic was playing Valley Stream, a Division 5 club in League play for the first time.

At this age all of the teams have talent and the skill levels are relatively consistent. What sets the better teams apart from the pack are intangibles like chemistry, experience playing together, on-field leadership and heart. The Valley Stream Force had some big, strong girls and some very skilled players with real speed but The Force was no match for The Magic. Ali Kain opened the scoring early with a beautiful shot that hit just behind the opposite post. Kain is fast and graceful under the pounding that the opposing defenses inflict on the forwards. But it was an unselfish pass that set up her shot from line mate Marisa Jetter. The defense had collapsed on Jetter but she had controlled the ball and dished it to Kain. Jetter watched the celebration from a seated position in front of the net but the durable Jetter was smiling as she was helped up. Jetter got to celebrate her own goal later in the half after a well placed corner kick by Jen Port resulted in a melee in front of the net. In amongst the banging bodies, Jetter was able to punch the ball out of the scrum and into the corner of the goal. Jetter's toughness and on-field leadership is a huge asset to the team.

Jetter and Lonnie Nemeroff who frequently relieves Jetter at the crucial center forward spot both control and dish the ball better than anyone else on the team. Nemeroff scored late in the game from the center forward position but it was a defensive sequence in the first half that, while it did not result in a score warmed her coaches' hearts. If Nemeroff is 80 lbs. soaking wet it is a lot (but with apologies) as the old adage goes "it is not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog that counts." Playing at the center midfield position Nemeroff was like a relentless terrier on defense. She was pressure on the ball that just wouldn't quit left side, right side and center. It was great fun to watch.

Recounting The Magic's games I frequently write about who scored and how. But The Magic has become a better team because their defense has matured to the point that they are very tough and stingy. Kathleen Flynn has continued to improve in goal. Today she would notch another shutout. Her height and increasing quickness have shrunk the net, while her booming punts often ignite the offense. Keeper Flynn frequently expresses her deep abiding affection for her back line of Maggie Hoban, Jennifer Port and Kelly LaRose. This trio has solidified into a very capable unit where the experience of playing together for several seasons is evident in the coordinated support they provide each other.

But it has been the midfield's defensive play that has improved most markedly. Magda Jackowicz, Christine McEnery, Nicole DeStefano, Kim Stillwell and the most recent addition Alizia Terry are all tenacious defenders. As evidence of this, since September of 2002 The Magic has only allowed 4 goals in League play while scoring 34, an impressive 8.5-1 ratio. Julia Yan, Leah Seyburn and Ashley Musiker have also contributed to that impressive record. Jackowicz and Stillwell are particularly aggressive on offense, penetrating, scrapping for the loose balls. This scrappy play gave Stillwell a goal in each session. It was McEnery and DeStefano winning a loose ball in the midfield that led to Maggie Garcia finishing one of her several dangerous left side attacks stretching the nylon for a score. Garcia on the left side has speed and a good left foot, which makes her a source of stomach knots for opposing keepers. While on the right side, Katie Carter's blistering speed had forced the other coach to pull one of his fastest forwards back to try and deal with her. It didn't help as Carter kept her streak of consecutive games with at least one goal alive by burying two in the second stanza to put the game beyond reach. The field may have been shabby but the 8-0 win over a Division 5 stalwart bodes well for the season.

At the end of Saturday's win against Valley Stream, Coach Kain announced apologetically to his U-14 girls that one of the several weather postponed make-up games was going to be the next day, Sunday at 5 p.m. Instead of the expected moans and groans about games on back to back days and the short notice, the girls were delighted just to be able to play. Sunday's opponent, the Farmingdale Thunder had finished third in Division 5 with a good record. Sunday's weather was made for soccer with just a touch of a chill in the late afternoon air. The Farmingdale field was lush and manicured. Our girls joked about taking the field home to replace the mean patch that is Wilson Park's Field #3. The lack of advance notice for the game produced a short bench of just 12 players for Mineola. But even our one substitute was better than The Thunder who only mustered 11 girls. From the opening whistle, it was clear why Farmingdale was such a tough squad, speed. The Thunder's two outside forwards were like lightning. The team's speed was not limited to just these slots either.

Maggie Hoban, Jennifer Port, Alizia Terry and Kelly La Rose had their hands full containing these speedy outside attackers. Blowing through the midfield with skilled dribble penetrations and sharp passing, most of these furious Thunder attacks were being snuffed out in the corners or ending with weak shots on Keeper Flynn. LaRose had drawn the fastest Farmingdale girl on the field as her dance partner but LaRose matched her speed and tenacity. There was also excellent weak side help along the back line. Just when one of the Mineola defenders would be in trouble the threat was neutralized by the timely appearance of one of her line mates or the speedy sweeper Alizia Terry.

This concerted pressure kept Kathleen Flynn on her toes the whole game but at one point she displayed her goaltending skills while lying on her back. After a driving Thunder strike produced a high ripping shot, Keeper Flynn was only able to knock the ball down, falling to the ground in the process. Lying in front of her net on her back she reached behind her head and corralled in the loose ball. Her teammates and coaches greeted this gritty, acrobatic display with appreciative hoots and cheers. The Farmingdale squad was left to shake their heads. Like a prizefighter that fails to land a punch, The Magic's tough defense was sapping the Thunder's energy and spirit with every thwarted attack.

Meanwhile, the midfield hustle of Magda Jackowicz, Nicole DeStefano, Kim Stillwell and Christine McEnery was starting to tell. DeStefano and Jackowicz seemed to be everywhere. Breaking down the Thunder's midfield defense further, Alizia Terry, Maggie Hoban and Kelly LaRose were making strong attacks from their back line slots over the midfield stripe. This in turn allowed the midfielders to put more offensive pressure on The Thunder's back line. Jackowicz, McEnery and Stillwell all got off sizzling shots but it was one of a series of aggressive attacks by Kim Stillwell that stretched the nylon first. The price for her success was being mercilessly banged around in the middle. After a seesaw stanza, Mineola was on the board first and the tide was starting to turn.

All game long Marisa Jetter, Maggie Garcia and Ali Kain were wearing down the Thunder with relentless pressure. Unable to handle our forwards, the Farmingdale defenders were dumping the ball out of bounds. Jackowicz, DeStefano and McEnery rattled the Thunder with long, precise throw-ins deep in the Farmingdale end. But it was a corner kick by Jen Port that was to provide the highlight clip for Sports Center. Coach Kain recognized some time ago that Port has a big, powerful kick. So she became the designated corner kicker, trotting up calmly from her back line spot to put the ball in play and cause havoc in front of the opponent's net. She has just gotten better and better in this designated hitter's slot. But today was special. Port set up, dropped her arm to signal The Magic to crash the net and unleashed a high bender that curled over everyone and sailed into the net. The Magic celebrated, congratulating Port on a spectacular shot. You would have to watch a lot of high level soccer to see such a pretty goal repeated.

But the Thunder wasn't finished yet. Their attack came bearing down on The Magic like an advancing squall line. They were surging toward our goal with speed and crisp passes. A sizzling shot from the right side careened off of a Mineola defender and suddenly Keeper Flynn was out of position for the rebound shot. She watched helplessly as the Thunder's left forward wound up and uncorked a blast. Sensing the situation, wordlessly, Jen Port had stepped back onto Flynn's line and as the shot sailed in, Jen cleared the ball just as fast. Flynn's shutout was intact with a little help from her friends. The Thunder had shot their bolt. But just to make sure Kim Stillwell tore up another piece of Farmingdale turf on her way to stretching the nylon for her second score of the day. Stillwell ended the game with more bruises and grass stains than the usual team leader in that category, Kelly LaRose. The Magic had turned in back to back sterling performances and convincing wins.