Little Red School House
and Elisabeth Irwin High School

A Pre-K-12 Progressive Education

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Knights Leave It Late But Win Crucial ISAL Matchup; Moskowitz Hits Her 2nd Hat Trick Of The Season

J.Demster

LREI took a very early lead, but Brooklyn hung around long enough that an equalizer right before the half kept them in it. Although it took until late in the game the Knights were eventually able to secure a massive win.

It took only 4 minutes for Josie Parks to put LREI ahead off of an assist from right winger Mia Schulte. It came after sustained opening pressure from the Knights. But what felt like a game tilting entirely in LREI’s favor turned into another very tight ISAL contest. There is certainly no love lost between these two programs, with Brooklyn Friends being a particular thorn for years and the tide swinging slightly towards LREI in recent seasons. And there have been plenty of meetings for that rivalry to build. LREI and BFS have played 12 times since 2011, and four of those meetings have come in the playoffs since 2014. That’s four of the last five seasons that the Knights and the Panthers have played a knockout game.

Up one early there was a sense that LREI could go on to dominate the game. But Brooklyn refused to capitulate. They controlled middle spaces well, and despite a lot of the opening period being played in the attacking half for the Knights, they never seemed to truly threaten their opponents net with another chance of the same quality. They were forced to fight for every ball. Center backs Leah Maathey and Jane Olsen did a good job of keeping most of the action in front of them and helping to pin BFS back, but the midfield was spread out and unable to really retain the ball well enough to generate play. Brooklyn packed the center space, and while central midfielders Sarah Katz and Olivia Roederer both worked hard to cover space and played well, they were ultimately outnumbered by the BFS narrow shape and direct play.

The Panthers would get a rather fortunate goal right before the half that gave them momentum. A stoppage in play was confusingly given to Brooklyn as a freekick rather than a drop ball. The ensuing cross found a runner at the back post, and the score was level.

On 56 minutes the away went ahead on a blazing run and shot down the Knights right side. But that was Brooklyn’s best chance of the second half, and it came during their only real period of sustained pressure. At the break the Knights had made a change to get an extra player in the center of the park, and it was paying dividends. Freshman Leah Maathey moved up from the backline into the defensive midfield spot and continued her great play that has been on display so often this season. She won challenges and was able to create opportunities for the Knights attackers to spread wide without sacrificing coverage of space. The gaps created in the BFS backline gave room for wingers Lily Parks and Mia Schulte, as well as substitute Gianna Sanzen, to advance the ball. And attacking midfielder Roederer recieved the ball in more advanced positions. Forward Cassidy Moskowitz had less pressure on her runs. Less than 3 minutes after Brooklyn’s second Moskowitz stripped a defender and finished to draw the Knights level.

The winner came with eight minutes left. Roederer turned and played a ball into the path of Moskowitz, who had smartly kept her run onside with a horizontal move. She danced in and deftly slid the ball past the onrushing keeper. The game was won at that point, but the Knights weren’t done. Right at the whistle Jane Olsen looked up from her centerback spot and split the entire field with a low driven pass for Cassidy to finish once more.

LREI are now 2 for 2 in ISAL contests, and level with Dwight and Leman Manhattan at the top of the table. The Knights have a short turn around to play again on Thursday vs BWL. A win would give them sole posession of first place with three games to play in the league.

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