DiMaria's Late Goal Helps Colts Hold off Comsewogue

Hills West overcame the cold, wind, rain and damp field to pull off a 2-1 defeat of Comsewogue thanks to Julia DiMaria's game-winning goal in the waning minutes.

Score: Hills West 2, Comsewogue 1

Records: Hills West 7-0 (5-0 in Suffolk League IV); Comsewogue 2-5-2 (2-3 in League IV)

Heroes: Julia DiMaria dribbled through two defenders by threading the ball in between them and then going around. After she beat a third Comsewogue defender to the ball in the center from 20 yards out, she took a shot. The ball fluttered over the outstretched arms of Comsewogue goalkeeper Erin Comstock and into the back of the net to give the Colts a 2-1 lead with 3:11 remaining in the game.

With 1:23 left, the Warriors had a free kick from 43 yards out on the left hash mark. But Colts goaltender Eleni Kazarides leapt through a crowd to punch the ball out of the goalie box. Before the Warriors could manage another shot, time ran out.

The Turning Point: Ten minutes into the second half, the Colts seemed to shake off the effects of playing in conditions their coach, Keith Ginsberg, said they do not enjoy at all.

The Colts looked sluggish and out of sorts in the first half, but it did not take them long in the second half to start making some offensive runs. A shot by Marisa Rosen, who scored the Colts' first goal in 22:46 left in the first half, deflected off Comstock's fingertips. Sarah Matzelle's rebound attempt rolled wide right. But, the missed chance set off a string of offensive opportunities for the Colts, who did not let up. Nor did they allow Comsewogue any legitimate scoring chances until there were less than two minutes remaining.

The Colts' attacks allowed them to finally persevere when DiMaria knocked home the game-winner.

The Quote: "We make it difficult on ourselves," Ginsberg said. "We weren't on top of our game for 80 minutes, but we were able to pull it out."

The Bottom Line: Comsewogue's goal was just the second that Hills West has allowed in its last four games. The past two games have been played in less than optimal weather, as the Colts played through rain on Monday and through strong wind gusts against Copiague last Thursday. Still, the Colts remain undefeated, having outscored their opponents, 19-5, so far this season.

Who's Next: The Colts travel to Riverhead to play at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 6.