The Oceanside Express had traveled to Oyster Bay to find rainy skies at East Woods School. After making such a long trip on Saturday morning, Oct. 22, Oceanside Express was looking to play soccer and the Tornadoes being good hosts, moved the game to Vernon School to play the game.

The game was very competitive at halftime; it was a scoreless game. Coach Albanese reminded the players that this game was going to be won or lost by one mistake and we need to make sure that we will be on the winning side. Reminding everyone of his responsibilities and important plays, the second half was a continuation of the first. Until the Oceanside Express made the one mistake that everyone was waiting for, a defensive player tripped Katie O'Brien our Tornadoe striker in the penalty box.

The Oceanside Express goalie was a very tall player, Coach Albanese instructed Katie O'Brien to take the penalty kick and shoot low to the slippery wet ground. The shot a perfect blast low to the left side of the net for a goal and a win.

The Tornadoes will be in Garden City on Saturday, Oct. 29 and Merrick on Sunday, Oct. 30, to defend their first-place standing.

The Eclipse played a hard fought 0-0 tie on a cold and dreary morning. The standout at goalkeeper was Madeline Greene who kept the game within reach of victory with key saves throughout the day. Cindy Maldonado had a strong defensive game at the sweeper position and was instrumental in keeping goals out of our net. Our offensive star for the day was Emily Siringo who had a few opportunities to score after breaking away from the defense. All 15 players contributed, as has been the case throughout this exciting season.

Valley Stream fell to the Rockets on Saturday morning, Oct. 22, under cloudy skies and a wet and muddy field. Neither the weather, the field nor the opponent could stop the U11 boys from notching their third straight victory. The opposing coach could was heard saying..."the Rockets played their positions and passed the ball very well today." He also mentioned to me "what good sportsmen they all were."

The first half was a "nailbiter," a scoreless 30 minutes, despite at least 15-18 shots on the opponent's goalie. Most shots were unlucky, and others were great saves.

Most notable "just missed" shots were ones by Alec Chiappone whose shot bounced off the left post; and Matthew Del Rosso's, who either sailed over the goal or soared just wide of the net. Then there were Luka Martinovic and Quinn Mc Quade who each scored twice to conclude the second half with a score of 4-2.

Valley Stream scored first and was quickly answered by Quinn. Valley Stream scored a second and immediately tied up by Luka. Both Quinn and Luka each scored a second before games end, however not before some drama we could have done without!

With little time left in the game, Valley Stream was awarded a penalty shot. Both teams lined up awaiting the ref's signal to kick... Ari Lewis against their kicker, one on one and "kick and save" - Whew!

We cannot forget our illustrious defenders, Liam Gagliano, Tyler Ozkan, Chris Hoffmann, A.J. Core, and Kyle Cartwright. Those offensive players assisting our scorers were, Ryan Sommi, Kevin Rubio, Jordan Contreras and Will Duke.

The boys play a doubleheader next weekend, both at home, in part to make up a postponed game from earlier in the year.

The Raptors struggled through rain, high winds and the cold to eek out a 2-2 tie against the Syosset Ice and lift their record to 2W-1L-2T. The conditions could not have been worse but the team scored a quick goal in the first minute when Cole Spivak made a perfect cross to Jonathan Ramirez who headed the ball in perfectly. Syosset came right back to even the score and then the two teams settled into a battle against each other and the elements. The midfielders anchored by Jesse Marksohn, Thomas Awad, Cole Spivakand Joey Giunta then controlled the play until early in the second half when the forwards combined for a spectacular goal. Ramirez made a difficult crossing pass to forward Willie Treiber who beat the defender and then while falling down banged the ball past the goalie with his left foot. The Raptors applied incredible pressure in the last 10 minutes with Spivak and Treiber barely missing on potential game winners. Despite the outcome both teams had to be proud of the effort in such brutal conditions

The Power had their first tournament game Oct. 8. The tournament was the Kohl's Cup in Syosset. The Power was placed in the blue division with some of the biggest soccer clubs on Long Island, These other teams had played together a long time. Although this was the Power's first tournament, the boys were well prepared. They had practiced hard and they were ready. The day started out with rain, and the rain never stopped. The first game was against the HBC Sharks and the second was against Syosset Fire. The Power took control of both games from the first kick. The Power's defensive line used offside traps to enable most of the games to be played in the opponent's half field. Power right backs Jack Puccio and Christian Broidy disabled the two teams offensive dreams and left side Michael Kliger made the right side offense disappear The middle sweeper position was shared by Chris Papantoniou and Sam Okpan who swept up the field and helped to develop the counter attack so that the Powers fast runners, Connor McAuliffe and Louis Pillari on the right offence could command the field. Sam Ward and Matthew Butler took care of the left side offense with skill. These boys were attacking the left side and the right side of the box to take many shots on the goalie. They made some great crosses and passes for our strikers to have great shots on the goal. The Powers strong striker Thomas Carchietta and Justin Ozkan made the HBC and Syosset defense work hard. Anthony Cortese showed why he has the position of speed striker. Goal tending was shared by Thomas Carchietta, Justin Ozkan and Mattew Butler. Only three points were scored on The Power. The rain finally caused the rest of the tournament to be called off. The Power was on a roll and is currently undefeated.

The Power is currently awaiting word for entrance to the Global Indoor Elite Youth League. If we are accepted we will play against some of the best teams on Long Island. I am sure The Power will be ready and welcome the challenge. If we can not play at Global, there are other opportunities for us in the indoor season.

The fall is here and The Power will be moving indoors for the rest of the year. Due to an overwhelming response, the roster is completely full. I will be sending out a separate email to those boys who have already committed. We will be playing at Sportstime in Syosset. This facility is available Wednesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. for 8 weeks. These 1 1⁄2 hour sessions are $240 p/session. Currently the cost is $130 per child. Our first practice was the week of Oct. 19. This is a great opportunity for our Power team to stay together and continue to practice hard. There will be no more outdoor practices until spring 2006. Please note indoor soccer shoes must be worn, no cleats please. There will be no indoor practice Nov. 23 the day before Thanksgiving.

It was Oyster Bay, Oct. 23 and it wasn't quite mud wrestling as the conditions were not great on the pitch as the Massapequa Eagles landed at Vernon Field. The Eagles were soaring high with the knowledge that the Merrick Cougars had beaten the Titans the week earlier and Massapequa had beaten the Cougars the week before that. Defenders Eerik Helmick, Alex Geitz, Harry Nicastro and Chris Murdock were wise to check the turf as the back ends were more mud than grass. The game was scoreless until the 25th minute when Eagle defender Jack Vitale was called for a hand ball in the box, setting up a penalty kick for the Titans. Coach Esernio called out "Kabir" sending Kabir Melwani to take the kick, he rose to the call and deposited the ball low and hard to the right corner and gave the Titans a 1-0 lead. Six minutes later the tables were turned as Titan defender Harry Nicastro was called for a hand ball in the box, setting up a penalty shot for the Eagles. They sent Ryan Oehl to take the shot.

Titan's keeper Gavin Esernio was ready and the shot was deflected as he moved to his left but lost it. The ball rolled parallel to the goal line. Esernio sprang like a cat and lunged to the ball and grabbed it before it crossed the line. As the half concluded the score stood at 1-0. The second half the Titans kept the ball in the Eagle end but could not convert. Midfielders Tom Treiber, Ben Horst, Horrace Patrick, Jonathan Leonardo, Hugo Francis and Andy Rubio along with forward pressure from Christian Petersen and Kabir Melwani kept the Eagles busy. Several nice saves from Massapequa keeper Eamonn Kelliher foiled the Titans chances to pull away. As the final whistle blew, the Titans held the victory 1-0. Aware they still need convert more, they had improved over the week before. This week finds the Titans traveling to Hicksville for the always tough Hornets.

After kicking off to a tough start this season with two losses and a tie, the Falcons girls OB-EN (Oyster Bay-East Norwich) Soccer team pulled through with a 5-0 victory against the Osprey, Saturday, Oct. 22. It was a break through the clouds, almost literally, as the day's drear and drizzle blanketed Vernon Field throughout the match, cleats squelching, proud parents in rain slickers huddled on the sidelines.

It was an important accomplishment for the Falcons to learn as a team-starting out the season adjusting to new players, facing new challenges, playing on a regulation-sized field for the first time-that their toils and drills, each others' support, and lip-biting determination continues to pay off. With flawless defense efforts from Natalie Gallego, Sara Farell, Meghan Hardiman, Meghan Butler and Emily Schlict (goalie), offensive players Sonja Drabin, Stephanie Mattocks, and Kelly McKeon were able to score goals from keen passes by Victoria Vilalba, Fiona Flannigan, Olivia Balone, and Megan McGucken. (Sara Farell was also present at Evolution Fitness Gym three weeks ago volunteering with her teammates for hurricane relief; her name was mistakenly omitted from the previous article.) Together, they dug into the game as they dug into the turf with their cleats, doubling their efforts to make up for such difficult weather conditions. Coach Alex Gallego's shouts of encouragement could be heard across the field. Both he and Assistant Coach Bill McKeon thank Mr. McGucken for stepping in as a fantastic referee.

By the end of the match, the girls were muddied, sopping wet, and elated for their collaborative victory. With their newfound energy, they cheered the sportsmanship of the Osprey. With their continued hard work, and the burst of confidence carried over from this weekend's victory, prospects look good for a strong season ahead.