Riders Survive Scare
Riley's Riders Beat Mondelo's Pro-40s
It was a homecoming in more than one way for the Rough Riders when they hosted Project-40 to the MAC. Not only did the fans welcome back the Riders, but they welcomed back their former coach Alfonso Mondelo. This was their first game back at the MAC after playing in central Islip for six games. Long Island was also eyeing the division title, their final three home games were a good chance to accomplish it.
To start the homestand, the Rough Riders were looking towards their next road trip and not Pro-40. Luckily, Long Island was playing the Pro-40 team, a young and inexperienced team. As coaches say, "one mistake can kill you." If there is one thing that the Riders have plenty of, it is experienced players. One of them is Gerry Lucey. He took advantage of the young inexperienced Pro-40 defense. After Judah Cooks pulled Cordt Weinstein down outside the box, Lucey beat Matt Napoleon, who was still setting up his defense. Lucey's shot hit the crossbar and landed inside the goal. It was his seventh goal of the season in the 22nd minute.
That was it for the scoring in the game. Although both teams had plenty of chances to put the ball in the net, neither team was able to convert any. Even though Long Island was playing their first match in 10 days, they were still able to earn a win. The win did move them to within five points for first place in the division behind the Rhinos.
The Rough Rider's record is now 12-8-3 for 57 points. The loss drops Project-40, the"Road Warriors", record to 7-16-1 for 31 points. They earned the nickname because they have no permanent home field, so they play their entire season on the road.
