May 30, 2009-The Long Island Fury and Long Island Academy won tonight in shutouts against opponents from Massachusetts in their season opener at their new home field, Adelphi University's Competition Field in Garden City.

Two goals on breakaways at the start of the match led the Long Island Fury to a 2-0 win over the New England Mutiny. The Fury received a bit of revenge because the last match they played, last July, they were eliminated from the Women's Premier Soccer League playoffs by the Mutiny, 4-2.

In tonight's game, Karin Simonian scored off a Cari Roccaro assist in the 5th minute and and the tables were reversed a minute later as Roccaro, all of 14 years old, scored off a Simonian assist in the 6th minute. Long Island goalkeeper Jillian Mastroianni, making her Fury debut, made six saves for the shutout.

"I thought that we looked very young tonight," commented Long Island Fury head coach Paul Riley. "But we scored two great goals at the beginning of the game and it's great to get three points from a very good New England team. I thought that our best player tonight was our youngest player, Cari Roccaro."

In the nightcap, the Long Island Academy defeated the Boston Aztecs, 5-0, off a first half hat trick from Shaun Higgins in a National Premier Soccer League game.

Higgins scored off a 20-yard chip in the 23rd minute from a 20-yard pass from Jose Batista, a 6-yard header in the 40th minute off a cross from Josh Allen and a shot from six yards off a cross by Christian Uy in the 41st minute. In those 41 minutes, Higgins' three goals matched his total goal output for the 2008 season.

A 20-yard shot by Juilan Escobar in the 52nd minute and a 20-yarder by Christian Uy in the 82nd minute off a Tom Lobben assist closed out the scoring.

Goalkeeper Mike Rodriguez made five saves in recording the shutout in his Academy debut.

"This wide field here at Adelphi suits us and we talked about getting the jitters out, maintaining possession and the goals would come," commented Long Island Academy head coach Adrian Gaitan. "We scored some great goals tonight. The guys like one another, they work for one another and I was very pleased with our performance."

The Academy return to action this Wednesday night, June 3 with a 7:00 pm encounter with the New York Athletic Club at Adelphi University.