Rovers, Stingrays play to 1-1 tie

The Amherst Rovers tied the Clarence Stingrays, 1-1, in an indoor travel soccer game on Saturday.

Clarence's only goal came on a penalty kick from close range midway through the first half. Amherst answered a short time later. Julia Newton was battling with Clarence defenders deep in their end. She managed to get the ball ahead to Maria Lafornayra, who took a shot from a tough angle that the goalie could not handle. Maria and Courtney Sugarman were both kicking at the loose ball as it crossed the line.

Offensively, Joy Thompson showed some nice moves as she repeatedly beat Clarence defenders near midfield to get the ball into Clarence's end. Allie Troncone created a good scoring chance when she dribbled in deep, sidestepped a defender, and blasted a shot off another defender in front of the net. Sarah Snyder scored in the "just-for-fun" shootout with a hard shot along the ground that was just out of the diving goalie's reach. Lafornayra also scored in the shootout when she blasted a low shot off the post and in. Colleen Stelley nearly created a goal when she put a corner kick right in front of the net and made several nice leading passes into Clarence territory.

Defensively, Julia Struble seemed to make all the right decisions in goal, coming out at just the right moment to cut off the angle of the shooter or intercept the ball, even when it was outside the box. Jade Brooks stuffed would-be attackers near midfield and may have saved a goal when she got a foot on a crossing pass to an attacker who would have had a wide open shot. Audrey Parenti took one for the team without a flinch when she blocked a very hard free kick. Kali James repeatedly stole the ball away from Clarence attackers and took it back the other way.

Clarence put up plenty of offensive pressure but Amherst's defense repeatedly denied Clarence clean shots when they worked it in close, and superb goaltending kept them out of the net when they did get shots.