Sky Blue Hosts Rough Riders in Pivotal Match
Michele O'Brien will be facing her former team
Jersey Sky Blue returns home to Drew University’s Ranger Stadium to take on the Long Island Rough Riders on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. in a pivotal Northeast Division match. Sky Blue will be seeking to keep alive its slim hopes of qualifying for the Eastern Conference playoffs after underachieving results this past weekend.
Sky Blue enters the match in fourth place in the division at 6-3-2 for 20 points with the top three teams qualifying for the postseason. Long Island has been a surprise this season with a 7-1-2 mark for 23 points. Sky Blue will need a victory to have any chance of extending its season.
Wednesday's game is "Soccer Without Borders Night" at Ranger Stadium. All fans are encouraged to bring new or used soccer equipment to donate to Soccer Without Borders. Any fan making a donation will receive a Sky Blue bracelet.
Sky Blue posted two disappointing results this past weekend falling 1-0 to the Connecticut Passion at home on Saturday before coming back to tie the New York Magic 1-1 on the road on Sunday.
So far playing at Ranger Stadium has been a home-field disadvantage this season with Sky Blue posting a 1-3-1 mark at Drew University. On the road, Sky Blue is undefeated at 5-0-1 for the season and 12-0-1 in the history of the franchise. Long Island comes into the game with a lossless road record at 3-0-1.
The lack of scoring has been the story this season for Sky Blue with just 11 goals scored in 11 games. Reserve forward Amélie Mercier – making her first start of the season – accounted for the only goal of the weekend stuffing home a loose ball to tie the game against the Magic after New York had scored first. Sky Blue’s leading scorer is Yolanda Odenyo, who connected three times in the first two games of the season but has missed the past seven games due to a hip flexor injury and will not return this season.
Sky Blue forward Michele O'Brien has yet to find the scoring column this season but will have a golden opportunity to do so against Long Island playing against her former team. The Ireland National Team player played last season with the Rough Riders and also competed with many of the same players as a member of the Long Island Lady Riders from 2000 to 2005. She scored two goals last year and 25 goals in her time with the Lady Riders.
Sky Blue has only allowed seven goals this season. Goalkeeper Jillian Loyden ranks among the W-League leaders with four shutouts for sixth place and a .714 goals against average for 10th place.
|
W-League 2008 |
Pts |
GP |
W |
L |
T |
GF |
GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Renegades | 25 | 11 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 28 | 8 |
| Long Island Rough Riders | 23 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 22 | 11 |
| Washington Freedom | 22 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 5 |
| Jersey Sky Blue | 20 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 7 |
| Connecticut Passion | 17 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 19 | 18 |
| New Jersey Wildcats | 7 | 11 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 15 | 27 |
| Northern Virginia Majestics | 7 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 20 |
| New York Magic | 7 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 18 |
| Fredericksburg Lady Gunners | 1 | 10 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 25 |
Long Island closes its season with four games between Wednesday and July 20 – the last day of the regular season. The Rough Riders were forced to cancel road games against Washington and Fredericksburg recently due to a bus accident. No players were seriously hurt but the Rough Riders will have to make those games up next week.
The Rough Riders feature a balanced attack led by former Stony Brook University standout and current Dowling College head coach Kerri McCabe with four goals and two assists. Former Hofstra University All-American Brooke DeRosa, Villanova forward Erin Byrnes, and Ireland National Team player Elaine O’Connor all have contributed three goals.
The Long Island defense is led by another former Hofstra All-American in Sue Weber while goalkeeper Meghan Frey is in the top 10 of the W-League in wins with six.
Sky Blue closes out its season with a road game on Saturday against the Washington Freedom before returning home on Sunday, July 20 to host the Northern Virginia Majestics at 5 p.m. at Drew University in the final regular season contest.