Sports
Coaches Ice Mayor's Squad In Annual Soccer Match, 4-2
Mayor Joseph Polisena's team couldn't hold off the determined offense of the coaches team in the 2nd Annual Mayor's Cup Tournament on Nov. 4.
On Nov. 4, Mayor Joseph Polisena's handpicked team took to the pitch at the Soccer Complex behind seeking to capture the Mayor's Cup back from a team of youth soccer coaches who secured the trophy in last year's inaugural soccer tournament.
"Last year, the youth soccer coaches won the soccer cup, 7-4," said Polisena. "It's all in fun [and] we wanted to get together and show our appreciation to the volunteer youth soccer coaches for what they do for the children all year long."
He may have sounded diplomatic, but it was clear that Polisena and his team — which included North Providence Mayor Charles Lombardi, General Assembly delegates, local town councilors, local school committee members, and Johnston High School soccer players — were aiming to win.
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Lined up against Polisena's team were Johnston Lightning President Richard Pezzuco, serving as head coach for the youth soccer coaches, and a fearsome crew of coaches from the Johnston Lightning and Johnston Parks and Recreation Department programs.
Bash Sasa served as the Mayor's goalkeeper, with Dan Robbins — whose Lightning youth soccer teams took a U-8 Boys title, a U-12 girls championship, and a first-place finish in U-8 coed this past year — minding the net for the coaches.
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The mayor's team was all smiles as they won the coin toss, but their happiness was short-lived as the coaches were fired up to defend their possession of the Cup.
Striker Tom Connell drew first blood in the game for the coaches team, and forward Russell Lebeuf and striker Brandon Self added a goal each in the first half to tally 3 scores to the mayor's team lone goal by The Player Known As Jobe.
Down 3-1 in the second half, the mayor's team drew closer on Brittany Valentine's goal, but Jack Plouffe taked on another goal for the coaches to tke the win, 4-2.
In a game that had been rescheduled from its original planned date of Oct. 15 — Homecoming weekend at JHS — Polisena hinted that better weather may help his team in 2012.
"Next year, we're going to play the tournament in August — it will be much warmer," he said.
