Pryor scores twice as Ward Melville tops Sachem East
Ward Melville midfielder Vanessa Pryor #7, scores her second goal of the game against Sachem East goalie Samantha Alvino #94. (Oct. 6, 2010) Credit: George A. Faella
It was the second of Ward Melville's super-duper hyped matchups of the last five days and Vanessa Pryor, always full of verve, was really fired up.
How fired up?
So fired up that when she blasted her second goal and the ball smacked against the back wall of the cage, it created a thud loud enough to crack through the sound of the vuvuzelas being blown by some Sachem East fans.
And behind Pryor, the Patriots reaffirmed their standing atop Division I, defeating second-ranked Sachem East, 3-0, Wednesday. Lauren Tarantino had three saves for the shutout.
"I just wanted to get it in," Pryor said after her second two-goal game. "Even if it went off her stick or something, it had to go in. I hit it as hard as I could.
"I'm ecstatic because it's against Sachem East. They're a big rival, undefeated, and we came in with a lot of pressure on us."
Ward Melville (6-0) lost on Saturday to Garden City, and though it was a non-league contest, the defeat removed the air of invincibility. Wednesday the Patriots faced hard-charging Sachem East (5-1) with hopes of leaping into first place.
The teams went back and forth early - like prizefighters measuring each other - but Pryor threw the first jab with a goal at 9:30. Off a slip pass from Abby Beltrani, Pryor knocked it into the right corner. She scored again with 18:25 remaining after a shot deflected off the pads of goalie Samantha Alvino (12 saves) and kicked out to her. Pryor sent a shot humming into the low center of the net, so fast nobody had a chance to react.
"Vanessa had a certain determination today," Patriots coach Shannon Watson said. "You could see it from the get-go."
Beltrani put the bow on top with 8:15 left, scoring with a flashy "reverse chip." The midfielder dribbled around three defenders, maneuvered left and crossed the ball over to her left. As a defender approached, she dropped to a knee and rifled a backhand shot into the net.
It's a move she's worked on this year and it's gotten her "three or four" goals, Watson said.
Sachem East coach Tina Moon said her team might've been too "emotional" for the game, but promised it would learn from the loss.
"We take a lot of pride in ," Beltrani said. "It means we can't underestimate anyone and we have to treat every opponent like Sachem East."
