John Jay soccer settles for stalemate with Somers

CROSS RIVER, N.Y. - On Monday, Sept. 15, after Lily Mazzella gave Somers a 1-0 lead with 33:21 left in the half, John Jay's Coco Inglis answered just 70 seconds later, and the rivals seemed headed for their second tie in two years.

When a pack of Wolves broke through against goalie Olivia Tatela, the short road trip looked ready for celebration.

“We just couldn’t put it away,” said coach Dave Nuttall, as the day ended in a stalemate.

The first half tilted most of the play into the Somers end. Maya Viders opened the attack with a cross to Kayla Cambareri, but Tatela got to the ball first.

Moments later, fans did a double take. After an interception at midfield, Lila Baker fed Hayley Frantz, who sent a pass forward to Cambareri. But at 35:50, the Tusker forward again lost the foot race.

Soon after, Mykel Papa and Myla Schneider put Tatela under pressure once more. Viders, Carly Mangiaracina, and Cambareri connected on a perfect triangle, leaving Cambareri with a clean look. But her chip shot sailed wide, keeping the scoreboard blank with 25 minutes remaining in the half.

Somers created chances of its own, though Matea Milich disrupted three Tusker advances. The best opportunity came when Isabella Wissa dispossessed Cambareri at midfield and set up Mazzella.

That sprung Brooke Epstein on a breakaway. The goalie’s decision to come far off her line left the net open, but Wissa couldn’t get a clean strike, and the defensive recovery saved the day. “Audrey (Oestreicher), Lyla Baker and Mykel (Papa) are always perfect on the ball,” said Epstein.

Epstein wasn’t done taking risks. Three more times in the next few minutes she rushed off her line and won the race. “Since I’m the one with the hands, I know I can get there first,” she explained.

Somers pressed, but Epstein, with help from Oestreicher and Milich, kept the Tuskers off the board. The teams went into intermission scoreless.

It didn’t take long after halftime for the crossbar to make its presence felt. In the opening minute, Mazzella’s strike from the right rattled the metal. Two minutes later, she forced Epstein into a leaping grab to preserve the 0-0 score.

John Jay countered when Viders crossed to Cambareri, who went one-on-one with Tatela. The shot went high, though, and on the other end Mazzella made Somers pay. Collecting a ball in front, she faded left and beat Epstein for the opening goal.

Coach Nuttall urged his team to keep their heads up, and Viders delivered. “She terrorizes defenses,” he said. Moments later, the freshman streaked down the sideline and drew a foul.

On the ensuing free kick, Viders lofted a ball into the box, and Inglis finished at 32:09. “It was the kick,” Inglis said.

Viders disagreed. “I miss hit it,” she admitted. “There was a gap, and Coco ran under it.”

Both teams pushed for the winner. Somers nearly grabbed it when Epstein’s diving save left a rebound that appeared destined for a put-back with 15 minutes to play. But an offsides call negated the chance.

John Jay created late pressure but couldn’t convert a scramble in front of the net, leaving Nuttall to sum up the afternoon: “We would have preferred a win.”