Long Island Rough Riders News Release -- www.liroughriders.com
Monday, June 24, 2013
PLAINVIEW, N.Y. -- The Long Island Rough Riders will host the Central Jersey Spartans on Tuesday night at Cy Donnelly Stadium starting at 7:30 p.m. The Spartans are eager for redemption after falling to the Rough Riders 4-2 last week, while the Rough Riders are looking to get back into the race for the playoffs in the Mid Atlantic Division.
The Rough Riders are coming off of a 3-1 loss against the Ocean City Nor’easters last Wednesday night. After an own goal by Nor’easters defender Jordan Murrell, the Rough Riders held the lead going into the second half and were full of confidence. The Nor’easters had other plans, and came out strongly at the beginning of the second half to dominate the match. They scored three goals within a 12-minute span to claim the win and maintain their pursuit of the playoffs. The Rough Riders are currently in fifth place with 11 points in the Mid Atlantic Division.
The Spartans are struggling to move up the ladder in the division. They have won only one of their six games thus far, taking victory against the Westchester Flames on the road. The Spartans are having difficulties maintaining a solid defense throughout a 90 minute game, having giving up nine second-half goals. They are led by forward Claude Tahi, who has scored three goals in five appearances this season. Midfielders Mitchell Grotti and Mark McGoldrick have also recorded goals for the Spartans. The Spartans are currently in eighth place with three points in the Mid Atlantic Division.
In their last match against the Rough Riders, the Spartans took the early lead in the 19th minute when Grotti opened the scoring. However, the Rough Riders did not give up and continued to pressure the backline. Their efforts paid off when Ben Arikian tied the game in the 35th minute. In the second half Stephan Barea recorded a goal and Kevin Knowles added two to lock up a 4-1 victory.
The Rough Riders are eager to return to the field and close the gap to the top teams in the division. They need three points to stay in the run for a playoff spot in the highly competitive Mid Atlantic division. Tickets are available online at www.liroughriders.com/tickets or at the Rough Riders ticket box on game day (opens 60 minutes before kickoff).