Romano boots Harris past Patriots

When Vaselios Sioukas arrived from Thomas Jefferson to coach soccer at Townsend Harris, he heard he was inheriting a special freshman in Mariella Romano. “Somebody had told me about her, but I didn’t know what I was getting,” he said of his 5-foot-3 striker. “But when I saw her I knew she was already my best player.”
Senior forward Ann Ely Urquidi was at Romano’s first practice, and agreed whole heartedly. “It was apparent she was the best player on the team.”
Romano didn’t disappoint in her first season of high school soccer, guiding the Hawks to a second place finish in the Queens A division while leading the borough in scoring.
Against Francis Lewis, she was the best player on the field once again. The Whitestone resident picked up right where she left off last spring, notching a hat trick - her first goals of the young season - and an assist, sparking Townsend Harris (2-1) to a much-needed 4-1 triumph at Francis Lewis last Thursday afternoon. “After the loss to Bayside, this win reasserts that we’re in the hunt,” Sioukas said.
Romano, who plays club soccer with the Rockville Center Royals (LI) and is on the United States Olympic Development under-16 team, single-handedly turned the game’s momentum early in the second half.
Dribbling around a pair of Patriots defenders by the left post, she did a 180-degree turn, and in one swift motion powered a shot past a leaping Rosa Maria Marzulli, just inside the right post, for the equalizer in the 44th minute. Jessica Molina’s first-half goal had put the Hawks in an early hole. “We needed it,” Romano said of her first tally. “It got us going. When we come out flat, I try to encourage everyone.”
Twelve minutes later, Romano, showing off her blazing speed, beat Marzulli again, this time on a breakaway off Natalia Guzman’s through ball. Romano added another goal and set up Urquidi’s tally to ice it. “This was important,” she said. “It picked up our morale.”
After Romano’s goal, her teammates’ play suddenly picked up. They completely controlled play in the final 40 minutes, taking advantage of the inexperienced Patriots (1-1). Her powerful boots and graceful dribbling proved to be the magic elixir for her teammates. “The momentum changed,” Urquidi said. “You feel like you’re capable again, and you can do it.”