Cardozo ties Bayside

The scoreboard read tie, but the happy faces on the Cardozo sideline afterwards told a different story. Their wide smiles made it seem like a victory.
In many ways it was. Three days after they were shredded by Bayside, 6-0, the Judges earned a hard-fought 1-1 tie, giving themselves a shot to pull even atop Queens A-V if they can win the final meeting against the Commodores later this week.
“It shows we are city [championship] contenders just like Bayside,” Cardozo’s striker-turned-fullback Frances Shin said.
Unlike the first match, the Judges (6-1-1) back line tightened up, limiting the myriad of scoring chances the previous match offered the highly skilled Commodores (7-0-1).
The decision to move Shin to fullback by Coach Rich Parascos was a major reason why. When Parascos first approached Shin, who has scored 11 goals this season, about the switch, she was “not happy.” However, after thinking it over, Shin embraced the challenge. “I stepped on the field and did what I could for my team,” the tri-captain said.
Not only was she vital in shutting down the high-powered Commodores, but Shin also scored Cardozo’s lone goal on a well placed set piece into the upper left hand corner following Alex Knese goal from the top of the box for Bayside. “At first I was happy with a tie,” Shin said. “Now I’m thinking, why not go for a win [in the next game against Bayside]? It’s for the division.”
Considering they were four starters short due to injury, the Commodores weren’t too disappointed with the result, either. “I’m very proud of these kids,” Bayside Coach Joe Corrado said. “[The tie] does nothing except possible affect seeding. They played a great game. Girls were playing out of position.”
Still, they had the better of the play as the game wore on into overtime. Twice, Despina Psomopoulos nearly got what would’ve been the eventual game-winner late in the second half. The dynamic sophomore’s boot from 15 yards out straight away on a free kick hit the cross bar and a right flank drive was knocked away by Cardozo keeper Stephnaie Beltran’s headlong dive.
“I thought we played a good game,” Psomopoulos said. “We just got a little unlucky with some of the shots.”
Beltran, who was the backup a season ago, but has started nearly every match this year, admitted to thinking the worst when she saw Psomopoulos, the division’s leading scorer, streaking past defenders. But the sophomore remained calm, making the game-saving save.
“I was focused,” she said. “I didn’t take my eyes off the ball. I was nervous, but I kept my concentration, stayed low.”