Late Fireworks Propel Sunrise to Win Over Kendall

Sunrise, Florida (January 21, 2006) -  In a battle for first place of the FLUGSA u13 Red South division the Sunrise Fire put together a blistering display of offensive fireworks in the final nine minutes to defeat the previously unbeaten Kendall Soccer Coalition by a 3-1 score.

Sunrise threatened first, at the six-minute mark, when the Fire's Melisa Camacho sent a lead pass from the middle of the field down to the right side of the 18 where Tatiana Penagos crossed the ball to Carolina Miranda. Miranda's shot was saved by the Kendall keeper. At 18-minutes, Kendall's Helenna Hercigonja shot from the left side of the box went wide right. At 22-minutes, Kendall had an indirect kick from about 35 yards out, Alec Spivak shot the ball straight into the net over the keeper's head, but the shot did not count since no one touched it. At 26 minute's, the Fire's Tatiana Penagos was 1v1 against Kendall defender  Dasha Munoz who disrupted Penagos enough to force her shot wide by a yard or two.

Kendall's best opportunity of the first half was at 34 minutes when Haleigh Stremanos made a cross to the right side to Brittany Baten. Baten had one player to beat but her shot went right at defender Tyler Rosemellia.

The first half ended at 0-0.

At 40 minutes, Penagos was 1v1 versus the Kendall keeper but took an early and rushed shot from about 16 yards out instead of taking the ball further in. The Kendall keeper made the save.

In the 42-minute Kendall's Haleigh Stremanos found herself in a foot race, with the ball, with a Sunrise defender right up the middle of the field. Stremanos had about a one step lead into the box and finished to give Kendall the 1-0 lead.

Both teams exchanged several chances after that, with neither team scoring. But a dramatic play in the 57th minute kept Sunrise in the game. The Sunrise keeper went out to the right side to stop a ball but a short pass was sent by her to the left side, leaving Kendall's Jasmine Paterson with what seemed like a shot on an empty net from about 8 yards out. But Paterson's shot was stopped on the endline by defender Kaitlyn Manning, who then helped clear the ball to keep the game at 1-0.

With 9-minutes left in the game, Sunrise tied it up. Tatiana Penagos sent the ball all the way wide and found Danielle Grossman alone on the right side. Grossman shot the ball over the keeper's head towards the far post to score the Fire's first goal.

One minute later, Penagos found Melisa Camacho in the middle of the field, about 25-yards out, Camacho, put on a few moves and fired the ball to give Sunrise the 2-1 lead.

With two minutes remaining, Jennifer Torres got an assist off of a corner kick that found Penagos in the box who knocked it in for the final goal to give Sunrise the 3-1 victory.

For Kendall, it was their first loss of the season, they have two ties, one against Boca and one against Sunrise. Kendall is now 3-1-2.  For the Fire, they move into first place with a 6-1-1 record. However, things do not get any easier for the Fire, they play the third place Eagles on Sunday. The Eagles won the first game of the season 1-0.


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Official Box Score

Goals
Sunrise 3
61st minute - Danielle Grossman (Tatiana Penagos)
62nd minute - Melisa Camacho (Tatiana Penagos)
69th minute - Tatiana Penagos (Jennifer Torres)
Kendall 1
42minute - Haleigh Stremanos (unassisted)

Shots
Sunrise 16
Kendall 10

Corner Kicks
Sunrise 2
Kendall 6

Fouls
Sunrise 4
Kendall 6

Saves
Sunrise - Kathryn Kulasevig 8
Kendall - 7