Sting stung by super Sachems

Level at one despite dominating the visiting Nor'Easter Sting for the first 20 minutes of the first half Sunday, the Sachems under-11 boys were fittingly frustrated. Enter the energetic Yoav Barkai and team talisman Patrick Foley. Within minutes, the newly inserted strikers combined for two nearly identical goals to lift the Sachems to a 3-1 advantage and an eventual 6-1 victory at Mullen Field.

Centerback maestro Philip Woolston wasted little time opening a scoring account for the 2007-08 season, bending a direct free kick over the wall and around the goalkeeper into the top corner of the goal from 20 yards just 35 seconds into Sunday's match.

But the Sachem dominance early did not show on the scoreboard, with left midfielder Bennett Parsons twice firing wide and high-priced strikers Ben Beyer and Ethan Sweeting failing to find the net. The Sting capitalized on two defensive mistakes to equalize at one in the 15^th minute. It looked like Sachems would suffer another heartbreaking half.

But in the 25^th minute, Barkai worked himself to the right touchline and rifled two perfectly weighted crosses into the path of the charging Foley, who nicked both goals to the lower right of the Sting goalkeeper from six yards.

The ball remaining in Sting-ville for almost all of the second half, the Sachems improving their possession and communication. Ian Steckel, tagged to primarily be part of the fullback rotation before kickoff, started the half as the team's withdrawn striker and chipped in two lovely goals – in the 35^th minute from Spencer Anton and in the 46^th minute from Cole Turissini.

In the 58^th minute, Woolston released Beyer on a penetrating ball through the middle and the crafty forward rounded out the scoreline at 6-1.

Backs Woolston, John Driscoll, Colin Hickey, Elliott Rippe and Eric Rolfs and center midfielders Charlie Booth, Charlie Cacciola and Michael Haley held the visitors to just one attacking opportunity in the second half and only two shots for the match.