Long Island Rough Riders (UWS)

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Long Island Rough Riders
Long Island Rough Riders Logo.png
Founded1994
StadiumHofstra University Soccer Stadium
Capacity1,600
OwnerPeter Zaratin
Head Coach
LeagueUnited Women's Soccer
20183rd, Eastern Conference Playoffs: DNQ
Away colors

The Long Island Rough Riders, formerly known as the Long Island Lady Riders, is an American women's soccer team, based out of Long Island, New York. Founded in 1994, the team was under the ownership of , who at the time also owned the men's Long Island Rough Riders up until 1997 before selling it to Frank Boulton. At this time, the Rough Riders transitioned names and became known as the Lady Riders for several years. In 2007, the Rough Riders acquired territorial and franchise rights to the women's Lady Riders team. For the first time since 1997, the men's and women's teams would be under the same name and they have been ever since. The team is a member of United Women's Soccer, the second tier of women's soccer in the United States and Canada. The team competes in the Eastern Conference. The Rough Riders were an original member of the USL W-League and played in all 21 seasons before the league disbanded in late 2015.

Long Island plays its home games at Hofstra University Soccer Stadium. The club's colors are blue and white.

The team is a sister organization of the men's Long Island Rough Riders team, which plays in the USL League Two.

History[]

Early years in the USL W-League[]

Established in 1994, the Long Island Women's Rough Riders participated in the . Under the ownership of , the team had a successful inaugural season, winning the very first in 1995. During this same year, the men's Rough Riders also won a championship.[1]

The Rough Riders finished the 1996 season in second place at 7-3-0 overall. Kim Wyant was named W-League Goalkeeper of the Year for the second consecutive season.

Long Island went 9-1-0 in 1997, topping their division. During the championship playoff series, Wyant and the Rough Riders shut out defending champions Maryland Pride, and defeated California Storm, 3-2, after winning 1-0 in the penalty shootout. During the championship match against the Chicago Cobras, the Rough Riders took the lead in the 48th minute on a goal by . The Cobras scored an equalizer a few minutes later and both teams battled through overtime where the game was decided in a penalty shootout. Wyant, who was later named tournament MVP, made key saves, allowing just one goal in the shootout. Debbie Johnson scored the first goal for the Rough Riders and secured the game winner, leading the team to their second W-League Championship.

During the 1997 offseason, , the owners of both the men's and women's Rough Riders, sold the teams to Frank Boulton, founder/CEO of the Long Island Ducks.

Transition to the W-1 Division[]

Now known as the Lady Riders, the team finished in third place in the North Division at 10-4 overall, advancing to the playoffs for the second consecutive season. The Lady Riders were defeated 2-1 by Maryland in the divisional finals. Wyant was named the W-League Goalkeeper of the Year for the fourth consecutive season.

The Lady Riders went 10-4-1 in 1999, good for second place in the W-1 Division. They advanced to the divisional playoffs, losing 4-1 to Maryland in the first round. The Lady Riders also upset the 2-0 in an exhibition that offseason.

In 2000, the Lady Riders finished in second place in the division at 10-3-1.

Long Island finished atop of the Eastern Conference Northeast Division in 2001 with an 11-2-1 record and 51 points, solidifying a spot in the conference playoffs. During the Conference Semifinals, the Lady Riders defeated Springfield 2-1 and advanced to the Conference Final, where they lost 3-1 to Boston.

Transition back to the USL W-League[]

The Lady Riders went 11-3-0 during the 2002 season in the USL W-League. Coach Emma Hayes was named the W-League Coach of the Year.[2]

The Lady Riders ended the 2003 season in second place in the Northeast Division of the W-League at 9-5-0 (27 points). The team advanced to the divisional championships, where they were eliminated by the New Jersey Stallions, 4-2.[3]

Long Island went 11-3-0 (33 points) the next season; good for a second-place finish and a four-consecutive playoff berth. The Lady Riders defeated the New Jersey Stallions 1-0 in the Eastern Divisional Final and moved onto the Eastern Semifinals against the Montreal Xtreme, losing 6-5.

In 2005, the Lady Riders finished the season in third place at 8-6-0 (24 points). Long Island also advanced to the playoffs for the 10th time in franchise history. The Lady Riders defeated the Western Mass Lady Pioneers 3-1 in the quarterfinals, but lost 5-1 to the Ottawa Fury Women in the next round.

The team ended the 2006 season in fourth place in the Northeast Division at 7-5-2 record and 23 points. Long Island lost 3-2 to the New Jersey Wildcats in the conference semifinals.[4]

In 2007, Kim Wyant, the former face of the team, stepped down from her role as general manager. The Long Island Rough Riders acquired the W-League franchise, formerly known as the Long Island Lady Riders. This season was the first season since 1997 that both the men's and women's teams would be known as the Rough Riders. Under the leadership of co-head coaches John Fitzgerald and , the team finished in sixth place in the Northeast Division at 5-7-2 (17 points). The team did not secure a berth into the playoffs.[5]

The Rough Riders went 9-3-2 (29 points) the following season and returned to the playoffs. scored in the 1-0 win against the Boston Renegades in the Eastern Divisional match. Long Island lost 1-0 to the Atlanta Silverbacks Women in the next round.[6]

Following a very successful 2008 season, where the team qualified for the Conference Final Four, the Women's Rough Riders looked to return to the W-League playoffs for the second consecutive season. The team saw several key players return for the 2009 season, including and , and welcomed U-20 United States National Team member, Gina DiMartino. Long Island finished in fourth place at 6-7-1 overall.[7]

In 2010, the Rough Riders went 7-5-0 (21 points), finishing in fourth place in the Northeast Division. The team failed to make the playoffs for the second year in a row.[8]

The Rough Riders went 7-1-2 in 2011, finishing atop the Northeast Division. After a two-year playoff absence, the Rough Riders lost 2-1 in the Conference Semifinal against the Charlotte Lady Eagles. The Rough Riders received the Fair Play Award for their sportsmanlike conduct throughout the season.[9]

In 2012, the Rough Riders clinched the Northeast Division title for the second consecutive season, going 9-3-0. Long Island lost 4-0 to the Charlotte Lady Eagles in the Eastern Conference Semifinal. In the offseason, former Rough Riders standout Crystal Dunn become a U-20 World Cup Champion as she helped lead the United States to victory against Germany. Dunn, a Mac Hermann Trophy finalist, also guided the University of North Carolina to its 22nd NCAA Championship.

The 2013 season marked the return of two-time W-League Defender of the Year, . Finishing 6-6-0, the Rough Riders failed to secure a spot in the playoffs. In April, Vaila Barsley, a former player during the 2009–10 and 2012 seasons, signed a professional contract with Sweden's Eskilstuna United. Rough Riders defender and midfielder were named to the W-League All-Conference Team.

Long Island finished in fifth place the following campaign at 3-4-5. Former players Crystal Dunn and Kim DeCesare were drafted to the National Women's Soccer League by the Washington Spirit and Boston Breakers, respectively.

Former member and recent Middle Tennessee State graduate joined the squad in 2015. Long Island finished in third place at 6-2-4 overall. Shan Jones, and Sue Alber-Weber were all named to the W-League All-Conference team. Jones and Alber-Weber were named to the 2015 W-League All-League team. In September, former Rough Rider Crystal Dunn was voted the MVP of the National Women's Soccer League, scoring 15 goals in 20 matches.

United Women's Soccer[]

The Rough Riders joined United Women's Soccer for the 2016 season after the USL W-League folded. The team went 4-3-3 (16 points) in its first season in UWS, finishing in third place in the Eastern Conference.

Long Island went 8-2-2 in 2017 en route to the UWS Eastern Conference title and berth in the UWS National Championship Semifinal. The Rough Riders, who scored a conference-best 35 goals during the regular season and tied for the second-best defense (10 goals allowed), lost on penalty kicks to eventual UWS champion Grand Rapids FC in the national semifinal.

Karim Diallo was named head coach on May 7, 2018. His first season in charge was up and down as the Rough Riders finished 5-3-2, just shy of qualifying for the playoffs. The team ended the season with three consecutive victories, including a 9-1 win over Worcester Smiles on July 7.

Players[]

Current Roster 2018[]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK United States USA
2 FW United States USA
3 DF United States USA
4 FW United States USA
5 MF United States USA (C)
6 DF United States USA
8 MF United States USA
9 FW United States USA
10 MF United States USA
No. Pos. Nation Player
12 FW United States USA
14 MF United States USA
16 MF United States USA
21 MF United States USA
23 FW United States USA
26 GK United States USA Kelsey Daugherty
31 MF United States USA
32 MF United States USA

Notable former players[]

Year-by-year[]

Year League Reg. Season Playoffs
1995 USL W-League 1st, Eastern Champions
1996 USL W-League 2nd, Eastern Did not qualify
1997 USL W-League 1st, Eastern Champions
1998 USL W-League W-1 3rd, Northern Conference Final
1999 USL W-League W-1 2nd, Northern Divisional Playoffs
2000 USL W-League W-1 2nd, Northeast Did not qualify
2001 USL W-League W-1 1st, Northern Conference Finals
2002 USL W-League 1st, Northeast Conference Finals
2003 USL W-League 2nd, Northeast Divisional Finals
2004 USL W-League 2nd, Northeast Conference Semifinals
2005 USL W-League 3rd, Northeast Conference Semifinals
2006 USL W-League 4th, Northeast Conference Semifinals
2007 USL W-League 6th, Northeast Did not qualify
2008 USL W-League 2nd, Northeast Conference Semifinals
2009 USL W-League 5th, Northeast Did not qualify
2010 USL W-League 4th, Northeast Did not qualify
2011 USL W-League 1st, Northeast Conference Semifinals
2012 USL W-League 1st, Northeast Conference Semifinals
2013 USL W-League 3rd, Northeast Did not qualify
2014 USL W-League 5th, Northeast Did not qualify
2015 USL W-League 3rd, Northeast Did not qualify
2016 United Women's Soccer 3rd, East Did not qualify
2017 United Women's Soccer 2nd, East National Semifinals
2018 United Women's Soccer 3rd, East Did not qualify

Coaching staff[]

Position Staff
Head Coach Karim Diallo
Equipment Manager Terrance Hinds
Winthrop University Hospital Chris Napoli

Last updated: August 2018
Source: Long Island Rough Riders Official Website

Stadia[]

  • Hofstra University Soccer Stadium (2018–present)
  • at St. Anthony's High School, South Huntington, New York 2008-17
  • , New Hyde Park, New York 2007-08 [11]

References[]

  1. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-06-01. Retrieved 2016-04-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-06-27. Retrieved 2016-04-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-06-27. Retrieved 2016-04-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-06-27. Retrieved 2016-04-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. ^ http://www.bigapplesoccer.com/article.php?article_id=9684
  6. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-06-27. Retrieved 2016-04-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-06-27. Retrieved 2016-04-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-06-27. Retrieved 2016-04-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-06-27. Retrieved 2016-04-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. ^ "Long Island Rough Riders Soccer Team Sign All-American Sue Weber".
  11. ^ http://bigapplesoccer.com/teams/roughriders2.php?article_id=17325

External links[]

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