By Rob Potter
HARRIS — November 27, 2007 — It’s always nice to win the last home game of the season.
The Liberty United Under-16 Boys soccer team recently enjoyed the good feeling of closing out their home schedule with a victory.
On Saturday, November 17, Liberty United defeated Newburgh Pumas II by the final score of 4-1 in a Hudson Valley Youth Soccer League game at The Center for Discovery in Harris.
Leading Liberty United (5-2) to the win were Euerth Ramirez, Trevor Goldstein and Kris Ramos. Ramirez, a forward, scored three of the team’s four goals and assisted on the other tally. Goldstein, the Liberty United goalkeeper, made several saves and allowed only one goal. Ramos, a midfielder, scored one goal and assisted on another.
About two minutes into the match, Ramirez gained possession of the ball and moved towards the Pumas II goal. He then sent a hard, low shot past Newburgh goalie Miguel Dominguez and into the corner of the net.
Ramos was credited with an assist on the goal.
Ramirez extended Liberty United’s advantage to 2-0 about 13 minutes later when he scored an unassisted goal. Ramirez shot the ball into the right corner of the net from about 5 yards away.
At the 25-minute mark, Ramirez sent a beautiful cross pass to Ramos in the goal box. Ramos took the pass in stride and quickly kicked the ball into the back of the net.
Ramos’ goal gave Liberty United a commanding 3-0 lead at halftime.
Ramirez completed his hat trick approximately 13 minutes into the second half. Ramirez scored an unassisted goal by beating the Pumas II goalie with a low shot from 20 yards away.
Newburgh (1-5) avoided being shut out with a late goal. With about nine minutes remaining in the match, Cristian Gutierrez sent a low shot towards the left corner of the goal cage from about 10 yards away. Goldstein immediately dove to stop the ball, but it slipped past him and hit the back of the net.
Liberty United Coach Denise Burgio noted that scoring early in the contest helped her team.
“Taking the early lead really got their heads up and focused on the match,” she said. “Scoring the first goal really psyches them up.”
Burgio said that Liberty United, which was scheduled to conclude its season with a match at Poughkeepsie on Sunday, Nov. 18, should finish in second place in the Hudson Valley Youth Soccer League’s Under-16 Boys final regular season standings.
“We’ve had a pretty good season,” Burgio.
She was happy her team defeated the Newburgh Pumas II twice this autumn. The first match between the squads was very close and Liberty United prevailed, 4-3.
Both of Liberty United’s losses this fall came to the other Newburgh Under-16 Boys team, Pumas I.
Newburgh Pumas II Coach Mario Guevara noted that this was his team’s first season and the players are still learning to work together.
“We have a very young team,” he said.