Boston Women's Tournament Wrap Up
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As the sun rose over a sleepy Cambridge, MA on Saturday June 30th, 14 women laced up their cleats, erected some goal posts and put out cones to mark the field at Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Briggs Field. They were prepared for the day, with coolers of ice, water and Gatorade, cut up fruit and gazebos to keep worst of the sunburn at bay. The Boston Lady Demons were hosting the Montreal Angels and New York Magpies in the inaugural Boston Lady Demons tournament. The Boston River Rats, a metro side, also hosted a Montreal Saints metro side on the day. Jitters, excitement and expectations all ran high as the teams prepared to take the field in an epic showdown of East Coast women’s footy power.
Joined by veteran Minnesota Freeze players Becky Kraft and Marie LaVictoire, the Montreal Angels took the field against Boston for the first match. Boston got off to a quick start thanks to veterans Aimee Hogue and Lydia Holt, as well as a commanding performance and goal from midfielder Emily Riehl. The combined finesse and intensity of Boston’s defensive team, made up of veteran Nikki Blaha and the rookie dream team of Alysha Olsen and Sandy Destra left Montreal struggling as they entered the second half trailing 21 to 3. The second half saw a strong comeback by the Angels as forward Lindsay Belzie found the goal posts twice in rapid succession. Midfield power duo Margo and Aimee Legault aided the comeback with a solid goal each to win this nail-biter 29-24.
Fresh off their win in the first game, the Montreal Angels faced the New York Magpies in the second game of the day. Both sides augmented by players from the Boston team to bolster numbers, the action on the field heated up right alongside the atmosphere as we approached the hotter part of the day. Solid defense and excellent marking by Alison Vorsatz of the ‘Pies kept Montreal to only one goal in the first half, but the Magpies buckled under sustained pressure from a cohesive and experienced Montreal side in the second half, conceding a 29-0 victory to Montreal.
In the third game of the day, the Boston Lady Demons took on the New York Magpies in the third meeting of these long-time rivals thus far this season. A fairly nondescript first half once again showcased some excellent defensive work by Boston’s Alysha Olsen and rookie Carrie Boiselle, both at halfback. Sarah Muscarella pushed hard while swapping between the mids and the forwards to continue driving the ball forward for Boston’s Holt and Riehl to score. The Magpies put up a good fight during both halves, with Magpies veteran Christina Licata joined by Emily Royer and Leanne DaCosta in the mids leading the charge towards goal but unfortunately just could not close the gap, conceding a 20-0 victory to the home team.
The day also featured a Metro style men’s game between Boston’s reigning Metro team, the River Rats and the visiting Quebec Saints. Four quarters of hard hitting action saw the Saints time and again mount a valiant counter attack only to be overcome by solid defense and some terrific goal kicking from the Boston side. The final score was Boston River Rats 97, Quebec Saints 30. The matchup left Boston spectators eager to see its full firepower during the rest of the regular season.
By Andi Williams, Boston Lady Demons
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