Fury Wins WPSL National Championship!

(July 29, 2006, Draper, Utah)-After 88 minutes of scoreless, intense action, Long Island's Sue Weber of East Islip kicked in an indirect free kick from the right touchline that River Cities failed to clear. Rebecca Moros of Larchmont pounced on the ball and registered the game's only goal, sending the Fury to the 2006 WPSL National Championship in the 1-0 win over the side from St. Louis.

Long Island midfielder Kelly Henderson of Baldwin, a freshman at Boston College this fall, was named Tournament MVP.

Fury goalkeeper Becky Wachsberger of East Meadow earned the shutout with two saves.

The Fury began the season not conceding a goal in their first 642 minutes of play and ended it by not giving up a goal in their last 355 minutes of action.

"When we started out (this organization), we thought we may finish .500 this season," said Fury head coach Paul Riley. "That was our goal, to give a decent showing and to not let Joe Ferrara (the East Commissioner) down. In all honesty, once you get to the playoffs, it's anyone's game. Anyone in the
playoffs has a chance to win a national championship and we did it."

"Anything can happen in this game. That's why they make the ball round. It was a great display by our players and they worked really hard. I thought it was going to come down to that type of goal in the end, because of all the good chances missed by both teams."

In the first half, Fury forward Bristyn Davis of Locust Valley missed a pair of opportunities, one squashed by a fantastic 1 v. 1 save by River Cities keeper Meghann Burke (6 saves).

Long Island would step up the pace after that chance and with a little over 16 minutes left in the match, All-Tourney selection Moros fired a blast from the top of the penalty area that Burke just tipped wide to her right. Alaina Beyar of Staten Island was sent in on another breakaway bid in the 82nd minute but Burke would come up big again, making an authoritative save while
trapping the rebound.

The pace for both sides quickened even more as overtime loomed before them, and would lead to the foul that set up the free kick opportunity.

Selected to the All-Tourney team from Long Island were tournament MVP Henderson, goal-scoring hero Moros, midfielder Lorraine Quinn of Farmingdale, 16-year-old defender Alyssa Pember of Northport plus defender
and captain Mary Schneck of Dix Hills. All these players competed for coach Riley in the Long Island Junior Soccer League while growing up.