Veronica Leon savors the opportunity to play with her Bayside Commodores teammates. For a year and a half, the junior forward has traveled throughout Queens but it wasn’t to play soccer games against opponents.
Finally, Leon has the chance to re-establish a rapport with her teammates, especially the burgeoning partnership with freshman Despina Psomopoulos that has become quite profitable.
Psomopolous scored two goals and Leon scored once and added an assist as Bayside’s fearsome duo proved too much for Midwood (11-1) to handle in a 4-2 victory at Tilden High School in a PSAL Class A quarterfinal last Sunday afternoon. The Commodores (15-1-1) advance into the semifinals, where they will meet McKee/Staten Island Tech, for the first time in school history.
It’s been a nomadic year a half for Leon off the field. After scoring 26 goals in her freshman campaign, she moved from Jackson Heights to Far Rockaway. The estimated two hour commute from the Rockaways meant she didn’t have the time to play. “I hated it,” she said. This fall, however, Leon, adjusting to the long commute, returned. “I was very excited to get back on the field [this year].”
Obviously, the decision paid dividends, with one former freshman phenom (Leon) helping a current one (Psomopoulos, who’s scored 24 goals).
Coach Joe Corrado has been impressed with his young team’s growing maturity and experience, especially as they’ve battled through nagging injuries and formation changes.
“It takes a while,” he said. “You have to get to know each other and know each other’s strengths and weaknesses but they’re experienced players. It’s a wonderful thing when they come together and jell as a team.”
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Benjamin Cardozo (10-3) fell to Tottenville, 1-0, in another PSAL Class A quarterfinal. They were out-shot 20-6, playing shorthanded, because their best midfielder Frances Shin, arrived at halftime after playing earlier in the day with her club team in a state cup final. Additionally, forward Katie Mermelstein was not at 100 percent due to dehydration.
“It would have been nice if they played us at full strength,” Cardozo Coach Richard Parascos said. “They didn’t play us at our best. If they did, I believe it’s a different outcome.”
Crystal Maialo scored the game’s lone goal for Tottenville (13-0).
