BATH — Morse High School’s Julia Cliffe put her hands over her eyes, shocked that she had just sent a shot from close range at an empty net over the crossbar, her first career varsity goal right at her feet with 2:40 remaining in the first half.
One of the many things that makes sports great is that the junior had another chance, and in overtime, she didn’t miss, finding the back of the cage for a 2-1 Shipbuilder victory over Leavitt in a KVAC girls’ soccer matchup at McMann Field on Friday.
The win gives Morse a 6-2-1 record and a sweep of the two games against the Hornets (3-6-1), with the Shipbuilders earning a 3-1 victory back on Sept. 12 in Turner.
Cliffe’s goal was made possible by Sierra Wallace, who hustled to a loose ball and sent a pass toward the Leavitt goal.
“Sierra made a nice run, and Emily Martin headed it over to me. I was able to finish that one,” Cliffe said.
“It is one of those things that she deserved,” Morse coach Steve Boyce said.
The game certainly started well for the Shipbuilders, who scored just 1:24 in as Martin finished off a pass from Cliffe for a 1-0 Morse lead.
Neither team seemed to find a rhythm over the next 30 minutes, with most of the action in the midfield.
“We have given up some early goals, but we have been able to show that resiliency. “I was happy the way we came back and fought after that goal,” Leavitt coach Chris Cifelli said.
The Hornets struck back on a corner kick late in the first half. Jayden Carpenter curled a service toward Morse goaltender Marissa Parks (nine saves). However, the ball slipped through the netminder’s hands onto the right knee of Leavitt’s Carly Jordan, who watched the ball slip into the cage with 7:44 left on the clock.
“We didn’t stop playing, we just wanted to get it back and we did,” Leavitt standout Leah Maheux said.
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