Burgio's role on the team could be likened to that of a traffic cop. "She controls the whole middle of the field," Dounelis said. "She's definitely a force out there. She's confident in herself and her ability to distribute the ball."

Burgio has two assists this season, but she means more to the team than statistics can relate.

In last Thursday's Suffolk County League IV game, Burgio put one of her three shots on goal (it was saved by Melissa Guglielmo). She also drew the only card of the match, a yellow, for a late hit that sent defender Hollie Di Muro flying.

What has helped Burgio -- and the Blue Waves -- has been the addition of Escalante, a transfer who played for the Mattituck Tuckers last year. Burgio, Escalante and Blue Waves sweeper Ellie Markewitz played together on a Premier League team, the Mattituck Riot. Burgio and Escalante know each other so well that they seem to have non-verbal communication. "She knows what I'm thinking," said Escalante.

Escalante has one goal and six assists in five games this season. "Zully has been a great pickup for us," Dounelis said. "She and Brigit work magic in the middle."

It was an exquisite pass by Escalante that sliced through the heart of the West Babylon defense and led to Riverhead's goal. The ball was caught up to by Amelia Czelatka, who drew Guglielmo toward her before sliding a pass across for Liz Tilton, who poked it into the unguarded net for her second goal of the season. The score 63 minutes 48 seconds into the game made it 2-1.

The Eagles, who brought their record to 1-3-1 (1-0-1 in League IV), scored two goals in a game for the first time this season thanks to Melissa Frederick and Marissa Garcia. Frederick benefitted from a long ball that Alexis Filippone launched forward, behind the Riverhead defense, at 19:45. Garcia, assisted by Bethany Bianco, then made it 2-0 at 46:00. She hit a well-placed, left-footed shot from the top of the penalty area, beating goalkeeper Emily Commins to the low right corner.

The Blue Waves (2-3, 0-3) nearly scored an equalizer late in the game when Czelatka clanked a shot off the left goalpost.

It was the third straight loss for the Blue Waves, who are learning that life in League IV is undeniably tougher than it was in the defunct developmental league they played in for the past three years.

"It's a lot more intense," said Burgio, who is in her third varsity season. "A lot more is expected out of you, and you are expected to play 100 percent all the time. There are no easy wins. Every team you have to play against the same way -- hard."

Eagles coach J.P. Di Stefano said, "They're coming back from the developmental league, and it's going to take time for them to get used to the level of play, but they have a bright future."

Dounelis said this is the best team in Riverhead's six-year varsity history, "but unfortunately we're still trying to work up to that higher level of play. Every game is a battle."

The Blue Waves were once again without their eighth-grade center forward, Ashley Drozd, last Thursday. Since preseason practice started, Dounelis has been raving about Drozd, who has played in only two games because she has been ill with a virus. Drozd has three goals and one assist.

Fortunately for the Blue Waves, they get a welcomed seven-day break in the schedule before their next game. That's certainly good news for the aching Burgio, who sat out practice last Wednesday. "We kind of take it easy on her," Dounelis said, "but you rely on a player like that a lot."

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