July 3, 2008-The Long Island Academy stayed undefeated with a 5-0 victory over the Maine Sting at Franklin Square's Park Stadium tonight. The Academy swept the season series from Maine as they also won, 4-1, in the Pine Tree State on June 14. The Academy, leading the Mid-Atlantic Division, improved to 6-0-2 while the Sting dropped to 0-3-3.

Midfielder Shaun Higgins opened the scoring with a 35-yard rocket in the first half. Although the Academy was leading 1-0 at halftime, head coach Adrian Gaitan was not happy.

"In the first half, we were really poor. We didn't finish opportunities again (like the scoreless tie against NYAC on June 20). Our play was not good enough," Coach Gaitan explained. "Maine did not look like scoring and complacency set in with our players."

That changed in the second half as Higgins, the Player of the Match, scored his second goal to put the Academy up, 2-0. Midfielder Jose Campos was tripped inside the penalty area and Renier J.R. Mena converted the penalty kick. 18-year-old midfielder Kevin Escobar, making his first National Premier Soccer League appearance, could not have asked for a better debut as he scored two goals to close out the scoring.

"In the second half, we pushed up higher and pressured Maine, causing them to turn over the ball," the head coach stated. "We punished them. There was more of a sense of urgency as we were all over them."

Next up for the Academy is an away match on Wednesday, July 9 against the New York Athletic Club, sporting a 2-3-2 record.

Coach Gaitan is hopeful that his side will score against a NYAC defense that bended but did not break in the scoreless tie two weeks ago. NYAC keeper Greg Schmidt made an astonishing 13 saves in that match.