New England Soccer Weekend Roundup

Pioneers Win Amid Struggles for Rest of Regional Sides

May 26, 2009

The Western Mass Pioneers picked up their first win of the season in what was an otherwise grim weekend for New England clubs.

The Pioneers topped the Wilmington Hammerheads, 2-1, in USL-2 action Friday at Lusitano Stadium in Ludlow, Mass.

Federico Molinari opened the scoring for the Pioneers (1-4) in the 19th minute off a pass from Yan Klukowski. Ten minutes later, Klukowski added to Western Mass’s scoreline with a strike off a pass from Neil Krause.

Calum Angus pulled one back for the visitors early in the second half, but that is all Pioneers keeper James Thorpe (7 saves) would concede.

The Pioneers hope to carry the momentum into tonight’s game against Crystal Palace Baltimore.

Here’s a look at the rest of the weekend action from around New England:

Friday, May 22
The New Hampshire Phantoms of the PDL couldn’t overcome a 25th minute strike from Ocean City’s Kyle Miller in a 1-0 loss to the Barons.

Shots (12-11, Ocean City) and corner kicks (6-4, New Hampshire) were relatively even, but the Phantoms couldn’t break through where it counted most.

Timothy Murray made 7 stops in net for New Hampshire.

Saturday, May 23
Bay State Select held a 1-0 halftime lead over the Adirondack Lynx courtesy of a Jenn Leaverton strike, but the Lynx scored twice in the final frame to take a 2-1 win at Stonehill College in WPSL action. The game-winner by Haylie George came in the 90th minute.

Western Mass Lady Pioneers keeper Amanda Schwartz was kept busy in a 2-0 home loss to W-League rival Long Island Rough Riders, making 14 saves. The Rhode Island Stingrays, meanwhile, allowed two goals in the opening eight minutes of their 3-0 PDL loss to Ocean City at Rhode Island College.

Sunday, May 24
The Rough Riders made it a clean sweep of New England foes with a 4-1 win over the Connecticut Passion at Wesleyan University.

Shauna Edwards assisted Jasmin Corniel in the 60th minute for the Passion’s lone goal, but the damage had been done already as Long Island scored three times in the first half and once more early in the second.

The match was called after 75 minutes due to lightning.