Sunday, September 24th

 The Tigers took to their home field of Kingsborough Community College in Brooklyn, NY to face their perennially tough Region 15 competitors, the Sharks of Suffolk County Community College.  It was a cooler Sunday afternoon with a forecast of varying levels of rain throughout the day.  The Tigers spent all week preparing for any type of weather, so rain was no obstacle for them.

During warmups, the Tigers took note of the impact that the weather would have on the game, particularly noting how to adjust for slippery field conditions, and lots of wind that impacted the direction their kicks.  Regardless of the weather, the Tigers started the first half tenacious and exhilarated.  Even though the Sharks started with the ball, the Tigers quickly took control of the game by scoring in the 6th minute!  Alexis Kufta made a statement early on by taking a soaring shot at the net from a perfect pass by Lissandra Micera.  Now even more amped up, the Tigers kept control of the first half, connecting pass after pass and taking 8 shots by end of the half.  However, an unfortunate series of events late in the first half resulted in the Sharks capitalizing  on two penalties, one being a penalty kick, the other a free kick outside the box, so the hallf finished with the Sharks leading, 2-1.

The coaches utilized the half time break to remind the Tigers that the score doesn't define the type of team they are, nor does it recognize the heart and talent of the team.  Re-energized, the Tigers came out to start the second half as amped up as they finished the first, battling through pouring rain without letting it change the way they played.  They continued to take shot after shot pressuring the Sharks to make challenging decisions.  The Sharks took a few opportunities to score as the half started, but sophomore captain goalkeeper Josie Whitt proved her skill saving some challenging shots.  The Tigers gave it all they had and sophomore captain Ivelisse Vargas stepped up during a free kick taken by Michelle Muratore.  Vargas playing center back for the Tigers does not always get the opportunity to score, so when she does, she capitalizes!  With a beautiful header into the net in the 75th minute, the Tigers were excited to have tied the game.  The work was not over, and there was still enough time to change the game.

The Tigers fought through fouls, and tenacious plays against the Sharks throughout the end of the game, but in the 84th minute the Sharks were able to notch another goal.  That did not change the Tigers' play, in fact, it charged them up even more, speeding up the level of play and pace of the game.  The Tigers ultimately played their hearts out, dominated possession, and set a name for themselves on the field, but the play clock ran out with a final score of 3-2 in favor of Suffolk CC.

The Tigers look ahead to their next matchups at Queensborough Community College at 2pm on Saturday, October 7th and against Nassau Community College for FIT's Senior Day and special Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Game to be played at FIT's home turf Kingsborough Community College on Sunday, October 8th at 12pm.  Come out and support your Tigers!  We hope to see all of our fans there!  GO TIGERS!!