Triangle Takes Women's Trophy
A 4-2 penalty kick decision earns the 2008 Championship for the South Atlantic
 USL News Release
Sunday, August 3, 2008
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA – On the first corner of the game, taken by Dani Stolt just five minutes into United Soccer Leagues Super-20 League North American Final, Kate Ryan popped open and one-timed a spinning ball that nicked the left post and trickled by Triangle FC goalkeeper Kelsey Kearney for an early 1-0 lead. This being the third consecutive season that Parsippany was part of the women’s final, few expected Triangle to rebound from the early deficit, but they did, winning 4-2 on penalty kicks after drawing the defending champions 2-2 in regulation.
Triangle controlled the next ten minutes of the match following Ryan’s goal, searching for the equalizer, but they were denied three times by Parsippany goalkeeper Amanda Davis. First Davis made a jumping slap-save to take the ball of the head of a Triangle forward, and then she laid out to cut out a pass to the back post. Finally, some excellent combination play through the final third created an opening for an easy goal before Davis kick-saved the point blank attempt.
Parsippany did not control play again until Head Coach Dominic Bucci brought on two or three pair of fresh legs nearing the end of the first half. Jess Carnevale had the best shot of extending the lead just before the break when a through ball from the back split Triangle’s defense. Carnevale had a good look at goal but her angle was cut down expertly by Kearney. Neither side of the net being open, Carnevale attempted to chip the goalkeeper but was even denied that as Kearney slapped the ball out of the air to end the first half.
Triangle had the better of the half time talks and was well in the driver’s seat to begin the second half. It began with a hard shot that took a sharp bounce on Parsippany’s second half goalkeeper, Mandy Schwartz. The ball was deflected and careened down the end line towards the corner flag. Mollie Pathman was all over the loose ball for Triangle and she switched the point of attack to teammate Taylor Ray. Ray set up her right foot and put a line drive into the far corner for a 1-1 draw, five minutes into the second half.
Seconds later Triangle took complete control of the match when Ray dumped a ball back to left back Alexandra Berger. Joining the attack late, Berger decided to rip a shot on goal.
“We had momentum at that point in the match so I just thought ‘why not have a shot,’” said Berger of the goal, which carried at least 30 yards, over the head of Schwartz, and fit just below the crossbar, into the far upper-90 for the 2-1 lead.
The only thing wrong with Berger’s goal was that it came too quick. It left the majority of the half for Parsippany to come from a goal down in a very familiar match. And it was a very familiar attacking duo that combined to even the score when Ryan looped a pass over the head of the Triangle defense, into the path of Danielle Stolt. Stolt beat Kearney to the ball and chipped the charging keeper to even the score and send the match into extra time.
Neither team could earn a decent look on net in either of the two, ten minute overtime sessions and Parsippany entered the second penalty kick portion of their three-year run of Super-20 finals appearances.
The surefooted Ryan stepped to the mark for Parsippany, but it was Kearney who set the tone for the remainder of the match as she blocked her first of two saves. The work between the pipes was reminiscent of the performance by inaugural Super-20 MVP Chante Sandiford of the Washington Freedom.
Kelly Dodd, Nadia Aboulhosn, Pathman and Berger all successfully converted their penalty attempts to secure the win for Triangle and Pathman, for her efforts in yesterday’s 1-0 win over the Freedom, was named the Super-20 Women’s MVP by Head Coach Pete Sadin.
“Mollie is only 16,” said Sadin. “She is crafty with the ball and has a nose for goal. She really put us on her back and carried us into this final by scoring that goal yesterday.”
“The fact that we won a [North American] title hasn’t even sunk in for any of us yet,” added Berger, who plays her collegiate soccer at NC State. “We worked so hard to get to this point and the thing that makes it even more incredible is that we beat some real class teams to do it.”
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