It was a beautiful Saturday in late September that honestly felt more like the middle of July. The sun was beating down on the fields here at HSC, but the true heat was being produced by the passion of the players.
We got to see a lot of talent from local squads who made their way to HSC. Young ladies and lads from across the Hudson Valley put on their kits and game faces and went to work from about 9AM until 2PM.
We welcomed several clubs including Nirvana FC, Quickstrike FC, Force FC, and AYSO United. The quality from all the youngsters created a competitive atmosphere we love to see at the Home Of Champions.
There was no shortage of battles or goals throughout the day with also a bit of star-power as well. The Hudson Valley's very own, Brittany Taylor, was leading the charge for Quickstrike FC (Campbell Hall native). Brittany was a three-time Section 9 Player of the Year while also earning All-American honors as a Senior at Washingtonville High School. She later went on to receive All-American accolades at UCONN and has been playing professionally for a decade before recently taking a break from her professional career.
The sun began to set, but that didn't stop the intensity at 122 State School Road. The talented youngsters departed and in came a pair of United Premier League Soccer (UPSL) squads including your very own, FSA PRO Foxes!
There was a lot riding on this match as the Foxes were sitting at the top of the conference and were playing host to Krajisnik FC who were only three points behind in the standings. After their first-ever win and a class away win, the Foxes were looking to make it three victories in a row.
As in the previous three matches, FSA PRO came out strong and controlled the opening minutes. The play from both sides was a little sloppy though and very physical. You could tell Krajisnik were out to get three points...they didn't drive all the way from Utica for a tie. Similar to the early morning matches from the youngsters, the passion and competitive spirit was high at HSC between the two UPSL teams.
It didn't take long though for the boys in orange kits to take the lead. The Foxes moved the ball down the flank and crossed it in. After a few awkward moments from Krajisnik and their inability to clear the ball, the ball fell to Valentino Di Lorenzo's feet. Using the inside of his favorite left boot, he finished the ball with a cool and calm demeanor to put the Foxes up 1-0 in just about 20 minutes.
The entire game was a battle. Krajisnik FC were a well-coached side with plenty of talent. The second half became a little chippy and it was clear though that your Foxes were a more fit team. The play became much cleaner for the home team as well and a bit more purposeful. Their hard work continued to pay off as they were awarded a penalty kick in the 75th minute. Up stepped Vieux "Papa" Mane. He nailed it into the back of the net. 2-0 for the Foxes.
The final 20 minutes or so were well-controlled by the home squad. They kept the energy high and wanted to keep the clean sheet going and that's exactly what they did. Three wins in a row for the Foxes...all on clean sheets! The team has a couple away matches before returning to HSC on Saturday, Oct. 26. You can purchase tickets here!
It was a fun weekend as we close out September and look forward to the upcoming months. We can't wait to be at Applefest for the first time this Sunday, Oct. 6! Here at HSC, we are also very excited about our upcoming Halloween Prison Tours and pickup Dodgeball that both begin in just a couple weeks! Learn more about all of our upcoming programs using the link below! Happy Fall everyone and hope to see you all soon!
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