Mepham avenges loss to Baldwin

The youngest player on the field had the biggest impact for Mepham as it avenged an earlier loss to Conference AA-I girls’ soccer rival Baldwin. Eighth-grade midfielder Erin Gilroy produced a goal and three assists to lead the Lady Pirates to a 4-1 road victory Oct. 5, bringing them back to .500 in the process.

Kelsey Simpson, Ashley Appel and Toni Simpson also scored and senior goalkeeper Alexa Rinaudo had five saves for Mepham, which improved to 3-3-2 under first-year coach Samantha Foronjy. Senior Nicole Gardianos had the lone goal for the Lady Bruins, who slipped to 1-5-1.

“We’re right about where I thought we’d be,” said Foronjy, who worked under longtime Lady Pirates coach Jim McManus. “It usually takes us 10 or 15 minutes for us to settle down and get into a groove. Today we got going right away. I think we’re starting to get into our elements a little better and becoming more comfortable.”

The situation for Baldwin isn’t as cozy. Coach Darius Burton wants to see more scoring chances — and goals — and thinks the struggles have become more mental than physical. “The effort is there every game and nobody is blowing us out,” he said. “We’re having trouble finishing and it’s frustrating. We might not have as much skill as some of the teams we’re playing, but that’s not an excuse. We have athletes. There’s a lot of soccer left and we have to keep our heads up.”

Baldwin’s only multi-goal game of the season came Sept. 14 at Mepham when Gardianos and Jessica Mouridian scored in a 2-0 victory. In five games since the win, the Lady Bruins have three goals. “Quote goes here,” Burton said.

Nifty passing by sophomore Allyssa Gangi and junior Ayanna Smith led to Gardianos answering Toni Simpson’s goal just 1:39 into the rematch. Simpson scored 24 seconds earlier when Gilroy intercepted a clear attempt and slid a pass that Simpson one-timed past Baldwin junior keeper Amber Harrison, who had 11 saves on the day.

“Erin helps us control the middle of the field and makes things happen,” Foronjy said of Gilroy. “She has a tremendous future ahead of her.”