Somers Holds on for 5-4 Win versus John Jay East Fishkill

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On Columbus Day, the girls soccer team was up early and John Jay East Fishkill joined the Tuskers for some soccer. At the high school, the Patriots didn’t let a little less sleep bother them and jumped out to a 1-0 lead at 36:02. But extra time on the snooze button wasn’t really a factor for Somers, because playing from behind never looks at the clock, according to Julia Arbelaez.

“We tend to be able to come back. This team has a lot of grit, we really fight back. So I didn’t have any concerns,” clarified the forward, and Somers scored five unanswered goals before finally prevailing 5-4.

Off I-84, John Jay turned on exit 6 and quickly showed they meant business. Mackenzie Kroohs dribbled out front, passed right to Gabriella Capra, and she went in the same direction to Emma Dwyer. A little space and the sophomore clanged the football crossbar at 37:45.

Back soon enough, an attempt to clear the Somers end was deflected, and the ball kicked to Abigail Tarpey. She gathered and hit Gabriella Capra, who juked through the double team. On point, the attacker took aim and squeezed the ball between Julia Schmidberger’s outstretched hands and the crossbar.

In sync, John Jay kept Schmidberger on her toes and off them at the same time. Cuba escaped into the corner, let fly, and the Somers goalie had to elevate again.

Two hands on the snare, the alarm was sounded, and John Jay would soon see who set the timer. On the sideline and draped by two defenders, Arbelaez two stepped the turf and another one of the senior’s dance moves had Lindsay Ulaj spinning the tune. “She can get a little unpredictable,” said the junior. “It’s very hard to defend, which is nice for us.”

Tiana Righetti in this case, she took the pass left, and before two more defenders closed, Ulaj was the next beneficiary. Open with a lane on Righetti’s feed, the middie took the step and found the left corner.

In at 32:11, John Jay continued the pressure, and Schmidberger refused to crack with three more saves. Inevitably, defense would lead to offense, and Somers did a dry run first. After Righetti chased the ball down the sideline, she hit a streaking Arbelaez, but the one v. one was negated by the offsides at 22:30

Four minutes later, the go ahead began with the same two. Control on the defensive end coming to Righetti, she lofted the ball to a trailing Arbelaez. “I saw they were playing a high line so I ran behind,” said the senior, and the sounds of silence let the all-state standout make some noise. No whistle, she ran under the ball, and the John Jay goalie didn’t have a chance at 18:38.

From there the 2-1 Somers lead had both teams putting the ball on goal, but John Jay had the most fierce foray around the eight minute mark. Cuba received at the 30 and scooted a pass into Ava Jordan. Between two defenders, the Patriot received and deftly got the ball left to Tarpey. Not fast enough, Schmidberger came sliding out, and the deflection cleared the crease.

Still work to be done, the ball ricocheted around until Jordan got another chance. A big roundhouse, the kick wasn’t enough with Lily Mazzella getting in the way.

Out of bounds, the corner allowed Schmidberger to put a lid on the proceedings. The ball kicked up high, and the Somers goalie slapped it away for a Righetti clear.

The opportunity lost, Somers refused to settle for a near miss. Another long ball, Righetti hung with the defense until the outlet pass was launched, and she beat the goalie to the ball for the empty netter at 6:30.

3-1 into the second half, two more goals would complete the run. First, Ulaj dragged the goalie and defender left with her dribble, and Arbelaez received an easy goal. Then Righetti did all by herself.

She received at the 35, eluded the defender and her kick from the right had a similar mindset. The ball headed straight for the goalie, but tailed away and found the right corner for a 5-1 lead.

17:56 remaining, the game looked like a done deal, and Schmidberger appeared to rub it in two minutes later. She made a diving one handed save on Capra’s kick from the left, and on the rebound, the senior got her foot on a Cuba shot from the right.

Unfortunately, the play left Schmidberger hobbled, and she came out of the game with 15:50 left. A spark was now lit under the Patriots, the resulting brush fire had it a 5-4 game on Jordan’s goal at 2:35, and John Jay kept coming.

Specifically Capra, she charged through the Somers defense, and a direct line had both fan bases on full gasp. No respite on the field, Capra’s shot sent Olivia Tatela diving left, and off her hands, Cuba was there.

So was a wide open net. Unfortunately for John Jay, the bounce was a little high and awkward and Cuba was denied by the post. Tatela covered, and Somers easily ran out the final 42 seconds.