MONMOUTH — Monmouth Academy girls’ soccer scored 10 goals in its preceding win and two more in a span of about three minutes early in Wednesday afternoon’s contest against Oak Hill.
Don’t criticize the Mustangs for believing the floodgates would stay unsupervised. Blame human nature.
“We started out well, and then after the two goals we kind of settled down, and (Oak Hill) got a goal and felt like, ‘Wow, we’re on fire,’” Monmouth coach Gary Trafton. “They just came out and beat us to the ball.”
The letdown spawned a surprising halftime tie, one from which the unbeaten Mustangs rebounded with four unanswered goals in a 6-3 MVC victory at Chick Field.
Junior Sidney Wilson racked up three goals and two assists, while sophomore Haley Fletcher furnished two goals and two helpers for Monmouth (3-0).
“We’ve been playing pretty well,” Wilson said. “We’ve been working really hard. Just working together and trying to click. Starting out strong and finishing strong.”
Wilson cashed in a perfect left-to-right centering pass from Fletcher to put the Mustangs on the board in the 15th minute. Fletcher walked in alone on Oak Hill goalkeeper Meagan Crosby, polishing off a feed from Madison Bumann to make it 2-0.
Easy enough, right?
Wrong, retorted the Raiders (0-2), who got one back when Brittany Marquis’ low shot avoided sophomore goalie Maddie Neal’s reach with 15 minutes left.
Jamie Prue notched the equalizer with 2:24 remaining in the half, planting home a penalty kick moments after she was taken down illegally inside the box.
“I played a defensive formation because I knew that they were going to be fast. With a young defense I wanted to kind of stack the defense a little bit,” Oak Hill coach Nicole Camire said. “Once they got up 2-0, I’m glad that my girls didn’t quit. They kept firing away.”
Despite owning a 13-8 edge in shots on goal in the first half, Monmouth probably rushed too many of those opportunities, and unleashed others from the clustered middle of the field.
“We didn’t make any passing combinations down in the attacking area in the first half at all. It was bring it down, cross, bang, blast it,” Trafton said. “In the second half we started beating them to the ball, and it made a big difference.”
Monmouth took the lead for good somewhat by accident.
Fletcher finished the play after the Mustangs chipped a free kick over the heads of the closest Oak Hill defenders.
“That wasn’t the play,” Trafton said. “We went over it yesterday for 15 minutes. But it worked.”
Wilson had a foot in that goal and each of the next three, as well.
She picked up her second of the day in the continuing action after a direct kick with 26 minutes to go, then set up Sammy Grandahl’s 20-yard, bending boot from the right corner.
“Oak Hill was kind of playing in the middle, so we wanted to work it down the wings and cross it,” Wilson said. “We really wanted to come out with more intensity, to try to delay people and make them make the mistake and not lunge.”
Wilson completed the hat trick with 4:30 to go.
Prue set up Bree Ivy’s goal in the final minute for Oak Hill.
“That was the other challenge: When we got behind by two goals in the second half, trying to keep their spirits up and their heads in the game. That’s going to come with experience and more time on the field,” Camire said. “I’m glad they didn’t quit. Scoring a goal late in the game, they’re showing a lot of heart.”
Neal made six saves in her first varsity start as a substitute for junior Mikayla Cameron, who is out with a concussion.
“I have a lot on confidence in Maddie. She’s a good little goalie,” Trafton said. “I was pleased with the second half because they just kept pounding, and they didn’t give up.
“As I told the girls, if you want to be good, you have to step up every day. You can’t just show up when you want.”
koakes@sunjournal.com
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