STA MAKES METRO STATEMENT, EXPANSION BROOKLYN CITY EARNS FIRST VICTORY

Written By:  Charlie Corr
             East Region Contributor

New Jersey-based STA turned some heads in the WPSL’s Metropolitan Conference this past week, becoming the first club in the conference to earn back-to-back victories to move into the top-3 in the standings following the weekend action. Elsewhere, expansion Brooklyn City FC had a momentous afternoon by earning its first WPSL win on Saturday.

STA nets pair of shutout triumphs: STA opened last week with a 1-0 victory over SUSA FC on Wednesday. Sofia Black led the way with a first-half penalty conversion, and the hosts maintained a clean sheet the rest of the match. STA and SUSA split the season series, with SUSA winning the first meeting 2-0 on June 3. STA then went on the road to edge the New York Athletic Club 1-0 on Saturday. Kelly Monaco scored a second-half goal – a left-footed half volley over NYAC’s goalkeeper – to help STA improve to 2-1-0 (6 points) on the season.

An intriguing side note is that Tom Bray, who has been with STA for the past six years, is serving as STA’s interim coach for this stretch. Head coach Kelly Sims is currently abroad as an assistant coach for the U.S. U-15 Girls’ National Team for a camp and matches in the Netherlands and Germany.

“It’s been fun,” Bray said. “The opportunity came to be an assistant, knowing all along that Kelly would be away [with the U.S. U-15s], so it’s been a nice challenge for me.”

Following this successful week, Bray and STA are hopeful they can maintain that contention near the top of the Metro standings moving forward.

“Every game is a test, and with the talented group we have, if they continue to work hard and the team chemistry gets even stronger, we have the capability of finishing really high in the conference and challenging for a top spot,” Bray said.

Expansion Brooklyn City finds win column: First-year WPSL side Brooklyn City FC added to its strong 2022 start with a 1-0 home victory against SUSA FC on Saturday. Lorna MacFarlane provided the lone goal early in the first half, hustling for a 50-50 ball against SUSA’s goalkeeper and winning that battle with a chip into the back of the net. The effort was a positive follow-up to Brooklyn’s come-from-behind draw against Metro-leading Downtown United SC.

“I was really pleased with getting the goal early, and then having to defend the lead for a good amount of time,” Kim Wyant, Brooklyn City FC head coach, said. “We generally are a team that is chasing the game with a goal down, or looking to break the draw, but we found ourselves in a favorable position going into the half. It was very good to see how the team behaved with a goal lead.”

Alliance FC takes significant first step: New Jersey Alliance FC opened the week with a 5-2 victory against expansion New York Dutch Lions FC in Jersey City, N.J. Alex Pardo recorded a first-half brace and team captain Maya Pitts opened the match’s scoring as Alliance FC built a 3-0 halftime lead, which it maintained the rest of the way. The result marked a big step for the New Jersey club after a disappointing 2021 season.

Other top performers: The conference’s first-place side Downtown United SC grabbed a pair of victories, topping New York Dutch Lions FC on Thursday and then posting a strong second half en route to a 5-1 win against New Jersey Alliance FC during Sunday’s home opener. Julia Aranov was the top scorer Thursday with four goals, and Bella Sember had a standout match against Alliance FC with two goals and a corner kick assist. Capping off the weekend, Jana Mucci netted six goals for the New York Athletic Club during Sunday’s win against NYDLFC.