The News Journal
4/20/00
A costly victory for No. 1 Tigers
All-Stater Belanger injured in 4-0 win
by Joe Nye - Special to the News Journal
Greenville - Alexis I. duPont High won the battle but lost its general as the Tigers defeated Newark 4-0 Wednesday.
A.I. lost star Beth Belanger during the game to a possible season ending leg injury.
Belanger, Delaware's Player of the Year last season, collided with Newark goalkeeper Alexis Bastien on a clean play late in the first half and immediatly dropped to the ground in pain.
The contest was stopped for more than 30 minutes as medical personnel attended to the three-time All-State performer. She was taken by ambulance to Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children.
"I did not see how she got hurt, but some of the players said they thought they heard something snap," said Tigers heard coach Shibaji Chakraborty.
"Obviously, it could be a serious injury, but we're just hoping the medical staff was taking every precaution."
The contest itself was an eagerly anticipated rematch of last year's 1-1 tie, the only blemish on A.I.'s record on the Tiger's run to a fourth consecutive state title.
The No. 1 Tigers (6-0), broke out to a 1-0 lead at the 27:04 mark when Belanger took a crossing pass from junior Katie Mazzio on the right side and headed it past an outstretched Bastien for the game's opening score.
A.I. then widened its lead at the 10:33 mark when Mazzio took a short pass from Kelly Gast at the goalmouth and stuffed it past Bastien, just minutes before the injury to Belanger stopped play.
No. 3 Newark was led all night by Bastien. A second team All-State performer last season, she kept the Yellowjackets in the contest with a series of sensational saves against the Tigers' All-State front of Belanger, Mazzio, and Kristin Goldrick.
"We controlled this entire game, there was no doubt about it," said Chakraborty, who is in his first season with the Tigers. "We had four starters out and could have easily won 13-0."
Mazzio and Goldrick tacked on goals in the second half for the 4-0 final.
Erin Tully and Krista DeFlaviis split time in goal to secure the shutout for the Tigers.