TSF ACADEMY VALKYRIES 3, NEW ENGLAND MUTINY 1

WAYNE, NJ - The New England Mutiny had an opportunity to end their two-game weekend road trip with another win after taking a 1-0 lead against the TSF Academy Valkyries at DePaul Catholic High School on Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately for the Mutiny (4-2), the Valkyries (1-2-1) would score three unanswered goals to ruin the visitor’s weekend plans and notch their first win of the season by a 3-1 score.

New England got on the board in the 23rd minute, as Abby Sotomayor tapped her pass to Rachel Ugolik 30 yards out from goal. The Mutiny veteran would fire her shot past TSF goalkeeper Bjonda Ademi (five saves) for the 1-0 lead. Natalie Melillo tied the match at 1-1 for the Valkyries in the 35th minute. Melillo chipped her shot over New England keeper Anne-Marie Ulliac as she ran out to stop the scoring opportunity.

It wouldn’t take long in the second half for TSF to score the game-winner, as Nickolette Driesse beat Ulliac (five saves) high on her free kick in the 48th minute. The Valkyries ran away with the result after that goal and held the run of play the remainder of the game. In the 88th minute, Melissa Kelly put the exclamation point on her team’s first win with her first goal of the 2016 season.

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LANCASTER INFERNO 1, LONG ISLAND ROUGH RIDERS 2

MILLERSVILLE, PA - It wasn’t for the lack of effort that led the Lancaster Inferno to lose their second game in as many days - this time to the Long Island Rough Riders - but a lack of luck in front of each goal. The Inferno (2-4) gave up a penalty kick early in the second half and couldn’t score the equalizer in a comeback effort as they lost to the Rough Riders (2-2-1) by a 2-1 score on Sunday afternoon.

It was a hot day at Pucillo Field, and Long Island were the stronger side out of the gates as Lancaster had to play a road match the day before. The Rough Riders would take advantage in the 15th minute, as Laura Gomez fired her shot over the dive of Inferno goalkeeper Emily Dolan (six saves) for the 1-0 lead. Teresa Rynier would even the score just before halftime, as her free kick from just outside the penalty area would find the bottom left corner of the net.

Long Island would be awarded a penalty kick in the 48th minute, and Erin Neville would convert from the spot for the game-winning goal. Lancaster would switch formations and go on the attack, but they couldn’t get a goal past Rough Riders keeper Melissa Guglielmo (five saves). Unfortunately for the home side, it was their second 2-1 loss of the weekend and with four losses on the season, are most likely out of the East title race while Long Island moves up to third place.

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NEW YORK MAGIC 2, NEW ENGLAND MUTINY 3

NEW ROCHELLE, NY - So far this season in the UWS East, its not scoring goals that seems to be the issue for the New England Mutiny, but allowing them. For the fourth time in five games, the Mutiny scored three goals but allowed the New York Magic (0-3-1) to come back twice before a late tally got the 3-2 road win on Saturday afternoon. New England veteran Deb Nelson would net the game-winning goal in the 86th minute.

The Mutiny started the match at Iona College on the front foot. Andrea Plucenik missed on her shot in the 12th minute while New York goalkeeper Samantha Depken (six saves) robbed her two minutes later on a kick save. New England would get on the scoreboard in the 20th minute, as Rachel Ugolik finished her shot inside the upper 90 of the goal for the 1-0 lead on an assist from captain Kate Howarth.

The Magic would tie the match at 1-1 just six minutes later, as Sara Sanau-Ruiz sent in Maura Torres on goal and she chipped her shot over Mutiny keeper Ashley Cavanaugh (two saves). The match would stay tied at halftime. New England went ahead in the 55th minute, as Stephanie Santos’ corner kick found Howarth, who volleyed her shot past Depken for the 2-1 score. It was her seventh goal of the season - good for second in all of UWS.

In the 67th minute, New York leveled the score at 2-2 as Shani Abrahams scored her second goal of the season. The next minute, Nelson’s bid for a response to New York’s goal was cleared off the line. As time ticked away, Chantelle Swaby broke the flank and served in a ball to Nelson, who blasted her shot home for the game-winning goal.

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NEW JERSEY COPA F.C. 2, LANCASTER INFERNO 1

WEST WINDSOR TOWNSHIP, NJ - The Lancaster Inferno got a measure of redemption against New Jersey Copa F.C. at Mercer County Community College on Saturday afternoon, but it still wasn’t enough for a victory. The prior weekend, the Inferno lost to Copa by a 5-0 score at home, and battled for all 90 minutes in this match but could not net the equalizing goal as they lost by a 2-1 score. The win puts NJCFC (5-1-1) at the top of the UWS East standings and in control of their title fate and berth into the UWS National Championship.

Copa scored first in the 8th minute, as Krystyna Freda withstood the Lancaster defense and slotted her shot past goalkeeper Emily Dolan for the 1-0 lead and her league-best ninth goal of the season. NJCFC doubled the score in the 29th minute, as Camille Bowen sent a ball out of the back that Jeanine Nunez latched upon and than slid her shot past Dolan. The score would remain 2-0 at halftime and Dolan was replaced in the Inferno goal by Emily Armstrong.

The Lancaster defense would hold firm in the second half, but had to wait until the 81st minute to get on the scoreboard. Katie Hackos was taken down in the penalty area and Carol Sanchez would convert from the spot for the 2-1 game. Copa keeper Kristyn Shea (six saves) and her team mates would hold on the rest of the way and get their East-leading fifth win of the season.

About United Women’s Soccer (UWS): UWS is a national women’s soccer league sanctioned by U.S. Soccer through the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA). UWS is a professionally operated league created for teams that meet high minimum standards. The season runs from May until the end of July, culminating in a National Championship match. The UWS player pool is comprised of college players, aspiring & former professionals and international stars. You can follow UWS on social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

UWS is managed by EDP, a leading soccer management company that runs a number of leagues and tournaments.  In addition to UWS, EDP operates youth leagues that includes an NPL league, the EDP Super Club program, the EDP Premier League and the EDP Championship League. EDP also runs EDP Futures programs for U-7’s to U-12’s and it conducts more than 20 youth tournaments, including tournaments within its EDP Cup Series and EDP Showcase Series.

Media can contact UWS Director of Communications Jorma Kansanen by e-mail at Press@UWSSoccer.com. You can visit the league’s official website at UWSSoccer.com. Interested team applicants can contact League Commissioner Joe Ferrara by e-mail at Joe@UWSSoccer.com.