By Dylan Butler
John Adams girls’ soccer coach Mark Wilson has a slew of set plays he works on with his forwards, midfielders and defenders every day at practice.
But when heavy rain started to fall and the field at Baisley Park became slick as ice, Wilson knew it was time to throw all the fancy plays out the window and stick to the basics.
And the Spartans did just that. The defenders, led by senior Jackie Soto, booted the ball up field as soon as it was near them and the forwards, specifically Marja Lisa Yee, used the wet conditions to their advantage against a fast, but inexperienced Campus Magnet squad in Adams’ 4-0 win Tuesday.
“When the ground is wet, the ball just takes off,” Wilson said. “Offensively, we just wanted to try and hit the ball on the ground and let the ball do the work.”
Unintentionally, Campus Magnet (2-4-1 Queens B) helped out Adams’ offensive plans as its three defenders rarely strayed from the area in front of their own net. That formation allowed for acres of space in the midfield for Yee and the other Spartans to maneuver.
It took Yee just seven minutes to find the back of the net, as the senior forward raced down the right wing and put a low shot from 12 yards out inside the far post to give Adams a 1-0 lead.
Seven minutes later Yee had another chance, but her chip in the box sailed wide of the far post.
Despite controlling play, Adams (6-1, 6-0 Queens B) led by just one at halftime. But Yee wasted little time in the second half when just three minutes in she scored her second of the game on a lob from 20 yards out. Yee completed the hat trick in the 60th minute when her low shot squirted along the wet grass and through a crowd in front of the net.
Maura Torres capped the Spartans’ scoring in the 65th minute when she dribbled the ball off her knee and lobbed the ball into the net from 15 yards out.
“I tried to use my speed and control so I didn’t trip over the ball,” Yee said. “I was looking for the other forwards to cross it so I could put the ball in the goal.”
Defensively, Soto and Kathryn Raffo negated Magnet’s speedy forwards by simply booting any ball near them up field.
“It was so slippery that sometimes when we pounded the ball, it went the wrong way,” Soto said. “Me and Kathryn have a dream of one day of pounding the ball up the field and into the goal.”
Bryant 9, Forest Hills 1. Lindsey Molina and Cristina Zea each scored four goals and Stavroula Giannoukakis had a goal and assist for Bryant (11-2-1, 8-2-1 Queens A). Stefany Feliciano scored the lone goal for Forest Hills (3-7 Queens A).
Bayside 2, Newcomers 0. Allison Christopher and Felicia Bunbury scored second half goals for the Commodores (2-4-3 Queens A). Newcomers is 1-7-1 in Queens A.
John Adams 1, Richmond Hill 0. Leydi Escobar scored the lone goal for the Spartans. Richmond Hill falls to 4-1-1 in Queens B.
Newcomers 1, Jamaica 0. Laura Burlacu scored the game-winner on a second half penalty kick for the Lions.
Flushing 1, Campus Magnet 1. Michelle Lopez tied the game for Flushing (2-1-3 Queens B) with a second half goal.
Arts and Business 1, Van Buren 1. Fallon Plazas scored for Arts and Business (1-2-1 Queens B).
Reach Associate Sports Editor Dylan Butler by e-mail at Timesledger@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 143.
