Impact Travel to N.Y. for Weekend Roadtrip

FREDERICKSBURG LOOKING TO NOTCH FIRST WINS WHILE IN NEW YORK

Compiled by Tom Leiss & Quentin Reed

For Fredericksburg Impact: www.fasaimpact.com

The Fredericksburg Impact will complete a three-game road trip to start its W-League season this weekend when they travel to New York to take on the Long Island Rough Riders on Saturday and the New York Magic on Sunday.

photo: Courtesy of Kari Blosser

Fredericksburg opened the season last Saturday in Virginia Beach, falling 2-1 to the Piranhas. Kara Blosser got on the end of a corner kick by Kimmy Cummings early in the contest, before the hosts rallied for the win. Blosser, a central midfielder, was name to the W-League Team of the Week for her efforts.

The Impact started a young team in the match, with high school junior Halle Parker playing the entire game at sweeper against Virginia Beach’s high octane offense. Fellow high school teammate Sydney Wallace, a sophomore, also saw action late in the match as Fredericksburg searched for a game-tying score.

Fredericksburg created many chances throughout the game, but were unable to put them away, which is something coach Rich Stoneman said the team will need to improve on going forward.

“I think our conference in the W-League is probably the hardest, and our girls got a taste what they did, can and will be able to do moving forward,” he said. “I think they are hungry to be able to travel this weekend and put together a full 90 minutes [in both games].”

Saturday’s game will be the season-opener for Long Island, which finished the 2012 season with a 9-4-0 record. The Rough Riders reached the Eastern Conference semifinals last year as the Northeast Division champion, but fell 4-0 to the Charlotte Eagles.

Long Island is led by Grace Hawkins and Sue Weber. Hawkins was named W-League MVP in 2012 after leading the league in points (38) and goal scoring (17). Weber is a two-time W-League defender of the year winner, who returns to the team after taking off the 2012 season to have a baby.

Coming off a tough 2012 campaign where they finished with a 3-7-2 record, the Magic (1-0-0) opened their season last Saturday with a 2-1 win over the Washington Spirit Reserves at the Maryland SportsPlex.

In the contest, Brittany Pfaff set up Lorena Maggio for the game-tying goal, before scoring the game-winner in the 86th minute as New York tallied twice in the final 15 minutes for the victory. Pfaff was named the W-League Player of the Week with her performance, while teammates Maggio and defender Kelsey Hegg earned Team of the Week honors.

“We expect both teams to be solid,” Stoneman said. “The New York Magic upset the Washington Spirits, which won last year’s Atlantic Division.  It’s going to be like a fight in these two matches, and after 90 minutes, we’ll see who’s left standing.”

After the opening loss, and heading into its first home game at Fredericksburg Field House on May 27, Fredericksburg’s players obviously would like to bring home a couple of wins, and hope another week of practice under their belt will be the difference.

“These practices we had this week have set us up going forward,” said midfielder Kimmy Cummings, who returned to the Impact this year after playing with the team in its inaugural season in 2011. “Last weekend we played, we were a little rusty but it wasn’t that bad at all.

“We’ve got some experience on our team, and we are looking for those girls to step up and make this weekend successful.”

FOLLOW THIS WEEKEND’S GAME ACTION ON TWITTER, AT:

• IMPACT: @fasa_soccer
• LONG ISLAND: @LIRoughRiders
• NEW YORK: @nymagicsoccer

IMFORMATION IF YOU’RE MAKING THE TRIP:

• Long Island Rough Riders: CY Donnelly Stadium, Saint Anthony High School, 275 Wolf Hill Rd., Melville, NY 11747. Tickets: $12 for adults; $10 for youth; Free for children under 5.
• New York Magic: Old Boys High School Stadium, 736 Rutland Rd., Brooklyn, NY 11216. Tickets: $8 for adults; $4 for children between 12-18; Free for children under 12.

PHOTOS CREDITS:

Courtesy of Kari Blosser, Long Island’s USL page and www.nymagicsoccer.com