SWEET AS HONEY: MUTINY 5 STINGERS 1

The New England Mutiny defeated the Massachsuetts Stingers 5-1 on Saturday at Fall River, MA. The Stingers were determined to erase a forgettable performance a week earlier against SoccerPlus Connecticut, however it was the Mutiny who was buzzing around the field in first 20 minutes of this match.

The Mutiny would threaten early and often. In the 3rd minute Erin Gatto was sent in alone on a pass from Jenny Maurer, but Gatto’s bid sailed high. Five minutes later, Mary-Frances Monroe would serve the ball into the area that would be headed at goal by Karyn Riviere, but Stingers’ keeper Krystal Robbens made the save. The Mutiny would finally get on the board in the 11th minute when Monroe stripped a Stingers’ player at midfield and slotted a perfect through ball to the onrushing Erin Clark. Clark would notch her first of the season after sliding it past Robbens.

The Mutiny would string a few passes together in the 23rd minute as Maurer sent Clark down the right flank. Clark sent the ball across to a sliding Monroe, but the shot glanced off the post. The Stingers, which fielded a completely revamped line-up than the first contest a week earlier, would equalize in the 31st minute on a blast from Lyndsay Cunningham from just outside the area. The teams went into halftime tied 1-1.

The second half began much like the first when Monroe collected a pass just inside the 18-yard box and rifled a shot on Robbens, but the Stingers netminder made an outstanding save to keep the game tied. It was in the 50th minute that Monroe would find herself in a play that would change the tide of this match as she was taken down hard from behind on a tackle by Kristina Cardoso. It would be Cardoso’s second yellow which led to her ejection fom this one. Monroe laid on the Durfee High School turf for several minutes, but in the 54th minute showed that she was just fine blasting a shot by Robbens to make it 2-1.

Down a player, the Stingers did not provide much resisitance in the balance of the second half. Monroe would send a ball deep into the defense in the 65th minute where forward Erin Gatto would capitalize on a Stingers’ defensive miscue. Gatto clinically finished the breakaway and the Mutiny led 3-1. Monroe would have at again with a shot from 25 yards out in 70th minute that clanged off the crossbar and back out of the area to Mutiny midfielder Lauren Molinaro whose shot sailed just high on the rebound.

In the 88th minute, 17 year-old Danielle Dakin of Wilbraham, MA would send a through ball to 18 year-old Karen Gurnon. The Connecticut State High School Player of the Year would score in her first ever match with New England. Gurnon would get on the score sheet again in the 89th minute with the Mutiny’s prettiest goal of the match. The Tolland H.S. product would cross the ball into the area where Monroe would head it into the goal for the final margin 5-1.

The Mutiny will enjoy the holiday weekend next week before travelling to the Maine Tide on Saturday, May 31st. The Tide lost their first ever WPSL match on Saturday, losing 2-0 to Connecticut.