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Brown grabs
victory and secures playoff berth
Sunday July 17, 2005 (Waltham,
MA) - Just as their MPS counterparts, the Cape Cod Crusaders had done the
previous night, the Boston Renegades defeated their nearest rivals to reach the
playoffs.
Although the Renegades did
eventually make the playoffs the visiting Lady Riders, with ex-Renegade Meghan
Frey on the bench, made them work for every inch of that playoff spot. As early
as the fifth minute, Renegades keeper Arianna Criscione was picking the ball out
of the back of her net. The Lady Riders attacked down the right flank and the
ensuing cross found their left midfielder who struck the ball into the top
corner. There was no blame whatsoever on Criscione, as you would have been hard
pushed to find a keeper anywhere to stop the shot.
The Renegades rallied, but were
unable to find a breakthrough in the first half. Sarah Johnson, Becky
Sauerbrunn and Caitlin Fisher all had efforts on goal but were thwarted by the
Lady Riders in-from keeper. The crowd at Framingham State College thought that
it may have been one of those nights. Yet, the majority knew that ‘their’
Renegades would never give up. Coach Reis decided to replace Irish
international, Denise Thomas with Meghan Welcome at halftime.
With time running out the
Renegades were running out of ideas until, Stacy Stocco produced a moment of
inspiration. The Australian international threaded a beautiful ball through to
the strangely quiet, Marisa Brown. Brown beat the offside trap and with just
the keeper to beat was tripped in the area by a struggling defender. The
referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. New Yorker, Lisa Stoia
coolly stepped up to the breach to dispatch the ball into the back of the net.
It was Stoia’s fourth goal in as many games.
With the 300 strong crowd behind
them, the Renegades had a twelfth man to help them secure victory and a playoff
spot. Overtime was looming until the prolific Marisa Brown was on hand to lob
the on-rushing keeper, from 18 yards out. Lisa Stoia provided the assist that
sent the Renegades and their fans into raptures. Brown had been subdued all
night by the Lady Riders offside trap, but popped up in the 93rd
minute to snatch victory. The Evanston, IL native has now bagged 13 goals in 12
games.
Coach Reis was delighted after
the game. “Honestly, in the end the better team won. We complicated things in
the first half, trying to play too cute. We played better in the second half,
moving the ball quicker and making use of our wingers, stretching them (Lady
Riders),” commented the Renegades head coach. Reis complimented the goalscoring
Brown. “When I first started her as a forward in Ottawa, I think some of the
players thought to themselves –what is he doing? I got to give her (Brown)
credit. Every week she is like a sponge, she wants to get better, she wants to
learn. It’s a tough transition from playing as an attacking midfielder in
college soccer, to playing as a forward for the Renegades, but Marisa is
coachable and it has made the transition easier. Although she is still learning”
stated Reis |
