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Rough Riders Scare Off Phantoms 3-2

July 24, 2004 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Long Island Rough Riders News Release


(Plainview, N.Y, July 24, 2004 ) – In a regular season game filled with playoff intensity, the Long Island Rough Riders and New Hampshire Phantoms did battle on a soggy Mitchel Athletic Complex field. The Rough Riders won the season series 2-1 from the Phantoms, and kept their playoff hopes alive by the score of 3-2.

The opening few minutes of the game were filled with end to end action with both team having their fair share of scoring opportunities. The Rough Riders nearly notched one first in the seventh minute when a through ball by Dahir Mohammed was put over the net by Giovanni Savarese. Savarese almost redeemed himself minutes later, when a ball sent over the top of the Phantoms defense by Evan Bruno was misplayed by a Phantoms defender and nearly put away by Savarese, but ultimately turned away by Phantoms keeper Josh Cole.

The Phantoms' best scoring chance came in the twentieth minute when team leading-scorer Bjorn Hansen fired a bullet of a shot from point blank range. The shot was met by the sure hands of keeper Dan Sirota, and deflected wide of the net to the chagrin of the Phantoms bench.

The Rough Riders struck first in the 28th minute when Carlo Espinosa sent a curling ball from the left corner flag to the top of the six yard box, which was put into the back of the net by the head of Sean Higgins. The goal was Higgins' first of the season and the fifth assist delivered from Carlo Espinosa.

The second half began nearly identically to the first. Both squads had early opportunities to score. The Phantoms came close to tying up the game in the forty-eighth minute when a bending free kick from the top of the eighteen yard box by Bjorn Hansen was pushed aside by a sprawling Dan Sirota.

The Rough Riders increased their lead in the fiftieth minute when a miss-hit volley by Jim Rooney ricocheted to a waiting Sean Higgins. Higgins' knocked the ball past an out of position Phantoms keeper to give the Rough Riders a 2-0 lead early in the second half.

New Hampshire was able to get back into the game in the sixty-fifth minute when Bjorn Hansen found a cutting Neil Krause behind the Rough Riders defense. Krause was finally able to beat keeper Dan Sirota with a low line-drive shot to the right side of the net.

The Rough Riders put themselves back in the "driver's seat" a minute later when Carlo Espinosa pushed a ball towards the right end line, and used his blazing speed to save the ball from going out of bounds. Espinosa then delivered a cross onto the penalty spot, which was met with a one-timer from the foot of Giovanni Savarese, whizzing by Phantoms keeper Josh Cole and ending up in the top right corner of the net.

The Phantoms refused to be put away, and their determination paid off once again in the eighty-third minute when defender Sean Carey lofted a ball from the left flank over the top of the Rough Riders defense. The ball was run onto by Rich Fleming, who proceeded to push it past keeper Dan Sirota and narrow the Rough Riders lead to 3-2.

The Rough Riders were able to hold off New Hampshire for a 3-2 victory to improve their record to 7-8-1, and drop New Hampshire to 9-5-1. Long Island has now won six of their last seven PSL games. Pending a loss from Harrisburg, the Rough Riders will move into second place in the Atlantic division.

The Rough Riders next home game will take place against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds on Saturday, July 31st at 7:30pm. All home games are played at Mitchel Athletic Complex in Uniondale, NY . For further team and ticket information, please contact the team office at 516-671-1585 or check out the team website at www.liroughriders.com

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