By Ted Waddell
FALLSBURG — October 7, 2003 – The home team Lady Comets defeated the Lady Lions of Chapel Field, 3-2, in Thursday’s non-league match.
“The girls just played their hearts out,” Fallsburg Coach Lee Smassanow said of his team.
Chapel Field (4-4) scored the first goal of the contest at 11:00 on a shot by Jessica Johnson off an assist from Amanda Schweiger.
But with 23 minutes remaining in the opening half, the Lady Comets responded with the tying goal. Senior midfielder Karen Perrello scored on an assist from fellow senior midfielder Jenn Orlowski.
Fallsburg (4-6) went up 2-1 at the 37 minute mark on an unassisted goal by senior midfielder Jessie Friedman.
With 22 seconds left in the first half, Johnson tied it up for the Lady Lions with an unassisted goal.
In the second half, Orlowski scored what proved to be the game-winning goal at 27:31.
“I thought the teams were pretty well-matched,” Smassanow said.
“My girls gave 100 percent to me and themselves, and they reached down into their souls [to that place where victory dwells] to win this game . . . to pull up the grit that makes them work together,” he added.
Smassanow said this is one of the winningest girls’ varsity soccer seasons under his watch.
“The team has jelled into what we’re going to look like for the rest of the season,” he said with an eye to making the sectionals.
Fallsburg goalie Abby Smassanow made eight saves in the match. Chapel Field keeper Julie Schaper was credited with 12 saves.