BEST OF THE DECADE The top 10 local soccer stories
Paul Riley enjoyed one memorable decade. Linda Cuttone/Sports Vue Images
As promised, here are the top 10 local stories, without the Red Bulls, who were featured in a separate story.
BigAppleSoccer.com's top 10 stories include the Long Island Rough Riders, Brooklyn Knights, Long Island Fury, St. John's University, Dowling College and several youth teams, including the West Babylon Panthers, NJSA 04 Gunners and Terryville Fire.
In chronological order, here are 10 stories for the past 10 years:
Some divine intervention (2000)
Only three weeks prior to the U.S. Youth Soccer Boys Under-17 nationals, West Babylon Panthers co-captain and central Thomas MacEwen was killed in a car accident. "He always had a smile," Panthers coach Joan Czach said. "He was a leader. He could break the ice during the game by doing something funny, by calling someone by his mother's name. The only time he got upset was when he felt his teammates weren't giving their full effort." The Panthers and Czach dedicated winning the national crown to the memory MacEwen and they did just that. Shane Arikian scored the lone goal and the Panthers defended their net expertly, prevailing over the Chicago Magic Sockers, 1-0. During he award ceremonies, MacEwen's Panthers teammates made sure Tommy's spirit was part of the award ceremonies, bringing out his No. 4 shirt as officials handed out the winners medals. "This is for you, Tommy," they said.
Not too rough of a ride (2002)
A year after dropping down from the A-League, thanks to a nightmare 8-16-4 season in the A-League, the Long Island Rough Riders moved down a league and bounced back in the D3 Pro League under coach Paul Riley. They captured the Atlantic Conference title with a 13-6-1 record behind the goal-scoring exploits of Derrick Etienne and Cordt Weinstein and the goalkeeping of Billy Gatti. They defeated the Southern Conference champions Wilmington Hammerheads for the title, 2-1, for the team's second championship. The first one was in 1995 in the old U.S. Interregional League with a team that boasted the likes of future MLSers Tony Meola, Chris Armas Giovanni Savarese.
Battling destiny (2003)
The St. John's men reached the 2003 College Cup final four in the NCAA Division I tournament. The Red Storm brought in a talented side (Hermann Trophy winner Chris Wingert, goalkeeper Bill Gaudette and midfielder Matia Damani and Chris Corcoran, among others), and reached the final, overcoming the University of Maryland,1-0, in the semifinals on a goal by Sebtasian Ralph. in Columbus, Ohio. However, they were fighting destiny in the championship game as Indiana coach Jerry Yeagley, in his final game as a coach, directed his Hoosiers to a 2-1 victory over Dave Masur's young men. It was Yeagley's sixth championship at Indiana, the most by a coach at a Division I school. Ashley Kozicki scored the Storm's lone goal in the 79th minute to cut the margin in half.
Fourth time is a charm (2006)
Three times Dowling College reached the NCAA Division II Final Four and three times the Golden Lions walked home frustrated losers. The fourth time to the semifinals definitely was the charm for Dowling, which captured the elusive championship with a 1-0 victory over Fort Lewis (Colorado) in Pensacola, Fla. Nov. 18, 2006. The top-ranked Golden Lions (22-0-2) came close three times prior -- in 2001, 2003 and 2004 -- but fell in the national semifinals each time. The soccer team became the first team from Dowling in any sport to secure a national title. After the game, a hoarse and emotional coach John DiRico said he felt "just satisfaction and pride on the job the team has done during the year, for the school, for the players and for the players who have come before them, for the coaching staff and administration. "It's the culmination of all the efforts they put in over the years." Forward Morten Jensen connected for the game-winner in the 38th minute.
The Fury's deuce (2006, 2009)
The Long Island Fury won two national championships in the decade -- in its first year win the Women's Premier Soccer League in 2006 and in front of its home fans at Adelphi University last August. It will be interesting to see how the Fury fares without coach Paul Riley. He will remain with the organization as director of coaching, but has taken on great responsibilities as coach of the Women's Professional Soccer team Philadelphia Independence this year. The Fury overcame defending champion Ajax America in August, 1-0, as Molly Bruh scored the lone goal, off a 21-yard free kick in the 74th minute. "I just knew that if we were able to score a goal, we would win," Riley said. "Our defense was amazing. Alyssa Pember and Tara Mendoza were terrific. Young Margo McGinty played as if she was 10 years older."
No one can catch Fire (2007)
Just about under the radar before the State Cup, the Terryville Fire found itself in the highest orbit possible for a youth team today. The Fire completed its ascent to the top of the Boys Under-18 ladder Saturday by capturing the U.S. Youth Soccer Association championship in that age group in Frisco, Texas. Terryville had to do it the hard way, beating the three-time national champion Arsenal, not once, but twice on consecutive mornings -- both by 1-0 results at Pizza Hut Park. "This is probably the biggest upset ever in this tournament," Fire manager Michael Secko said. "The three-time national champions defeated two times in a row. The team is for real." Indeed, the Fire was. "I thought I was high then, but I'm higher now," said Secko, comparing his emotions immediately after the match to them several hours afterwards in a restaurant. "It cannot get any better than this." Added his son, midfielder-forward Marko Secko: "This is the greatest feeling in the world. Nothing can overcome this." Midfielder-forward Matt Piccoli, who scored the lone goal.
Almost semi-tough (2007)
Under coach Joe Balsamo, the Brooklyn Knights came close, very, very close to securing the 2007 Premier Development League title, falling in the national semifinals in Detroit. The Knights, who lived by the shootout in the Eastern Conference semis, died by it, losing to the defending champion Michigan Bucks, 5-4, after playing to a 1-1 draw after 120 minutes of regulation and extratime in front of 7,000 spectators and in 107-degree. Goalkeeper Steve Diaz was the hero in the conference semifinals, making two saves in the shootout. Danny Dragoi emerged as the hero in the conference final, converting a penalty kick in a 1-0 win over the Cape Cod Crusaders.
Taking the leap (2007)
Five area teams were chosen to join the fledgling U.S. Soccer Development Academy in 2007 -- Albertson S.C., B.W. Gottschee, F.C. Westchester, Met Oval and the Red Bulls. The ultimate fruits of the Academy coaches' and players labor won 't truly be realized until years from now, but everyone -- locally and nationally -- agrees that they have improved on and off the pitch in such a short time. "FC Westchester is extremely pleased to see U.S. Soccer step in and deal directly with the overplay situation," FC Westchester's president and director of operations Lonny Unger said. "Some say it is the clubs that are causing the overplay situation, but more so it is the organizations that keep offering more and more premier league situations that clubs believe they need to participate in so they can keep up with the Joneses and keep their players. Now, the Federation has come in and said enough and has come up with a rational way to deal with this situation that I now believe will be fixed for the better."
That championship feeling (2008)
Tab Ramos, the coach, accomplished something that Tab Ramos, the player, never could do -- winning a national title. Ramos guided the NJSA 04 Gunners to the U.S. Youth Soccer nationals Boys Under-14 title. The Gunners recorded a 1-0 victory over Arsenal FC (Cal South) in North Little Rock, Ark. "There came a point in the second half and I thought this is destiny," he was quoted by www.usyouthsoccer.org. "It was two excellent teams. We played a great opponent; the game could have gone either way. I had a feeling that if it could go either way, it would go our way." Mael Corboz converted a free kick into a goal in the 70th minute. Ramos, who played in three World Cup and the Olympics, reminded his team to enjoy the moment. "I played in three World Cups and in the Olympic Games and I never got a chance to come to the [youth] national championships," he was quoted by the website. "Here they [the team] are and this is their day. You may never come back to this day so enjoy it."
Riley's reign (2000-2009)
We don't know exactly how many Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association titles that Paul Riley's team won in the decade, but it's probably more than two dozen, if not more than 30. Riley's Fury teams with HBC and Albertson Soccer Clubs were the dominant teams, boys or girls, in this past decade. His teams included some of the most talented girls in Eastern New York Youth soccer Association, including the DiMartino sisters (Tina, Gina and Vicki), Kelly Henderson, Crystal Dunn, Jasmyne Spencer, the Beyar sisters (Alaina and Carly) and Alyssa Pember, among others.
