The few fans that made it out to EAB Park on July 4th, for the Rough Riders first game in Suffolk this season, were treated to an offensive explosion.
The Riders were returning to their home-away-from-home, after a four game road trip. During that trip, the longest one of the season, they won one, tied another, and lost two in four games. All that could be cured, with the start of their current three game homestand. The Rough Riders needed to play a game at home, against a lesser opponent, and get back on the winning track. After the game, they had found the answers for all three problems.
The team's offense and defense supplied their own fireworks for the fans as they scored four goals, while limiting the Wolves to just one, as they won the game 4-1 in front of about 564 fans. The win improved their record to 6-5-3, and dropped Connecticut's record to 0-12-3, their 12th straight loss.
On a night of firsts, the Riders scored the first goal of the game, and the park's history, as Gerry Lucey found Jesse Van Saun alone outside the box. Van Saun carried the pass forward, then cut the ball back inside towards the middle of the field. As the defender, former Rider, Brendan Sullivan jumped, Van Saun ripped a blast into the upper right hand corner beating Matt Chavlovich just 24 minutes into the first half. The goal was also Van Saun's first as a Long Island Rough Rider.
Long Island continued to pressure the Wolves into mistakes, and wasted little time, as they scored again just two minutes later. Cordt Weinstein collected a lose ball and walked in alone on the keeper and scored his fourth goal of the year, to give the Riders a 2-0 lead.
Then in the 31st minute, Lucey's cross found the head of a cutting Steve Danbusky, who scored the Rider's final goal of the half. The Wolves broke through, seconds before the half ended, as Bernard Lilavios slipped through the Rider defense to score the lone goal for Connecticut on the night. Long Island still held a command 3-1 lead entering halftime.
The Rough Riders expanded that lead, in the 71st minute when Danbusky hit Weinstein in stride as he scored his second goal of the game, as the Riders iced their first win in EAB Park.
Paul Grafer faced nine shots and made eight saves. Connecticut was out shot 17 to 9 and both teams were caught offside four times.
