MCA's defense shines
MOUNT CARMEL - Defense doesn't always show up well in soccer box scores.
And while Mount Carmel's offense scored two goals against Mifflinburg on Wednesday, it was clear the 2-0 win belonged to the defense.
Junior Megan Van Doren made five saves in goal for the Tornadoes in the Heartland Conference Division II victory, evening Mount Carmel's record at 1-1.
While Van Doren was tested a couple times in the second half, the Wildcats never got a really clean look at the goal thanks to the defensive efforts of Kim Andruscavage, who has taken over the sweeper position this year.
Andruscavage sat back and pounced on the ball at the exact right time to clear it, and wasn't afraid to mix in a little contact to win the ball back for the Tornadoes.
"She will step up and make contact," Mount Carmel head coach Rich Miller said. "She's not afraid and doesn't hold back, she's very aggressive."
The defense was especially important in holding onto a second-half lead when both starting forwards, Alyssa Palewicz and Ranotta Ahrensfield left for stretches of time with injuries. Both returned to finish the game.
The defensive performance comes on the heels of allowing only two goals to defending state champ Loyalsock on Saturday.
"It's been all year," Miller said of his team's heavy emphasis on defense. "In our scrimmages and our first two games, I like our team defense. They're really doing a good job."
Perhaps the fact that the defense played only the first three minutes without a lead behind them was a contributing factor to their aggressiveness.
Junior Amanda Kuzo snuck up from her midfield spot to score with an assist from Palewicz on a corner kick at the 3:33 mark.
Mount Carmel continued to heap the pressure on the Wildcats' defense and was rewarded with seven corner kicks and 13 shots on goal in the first half.
Brigid Demko, Taylor Getty and Alison Varano, Kuzo's midfield mates, were continually winning balls and pushing the action for the Tornadoes, lobbing pass after pass into the sweet spots between Mifflinburg's defenders.
"I was really happy with how we moved the ball, but in the first half we had so many chances and we have to get the ball in the net," Miller said. "It was going over, we were hitting the bar... It's the finishing that we have to work on, and that's hard.
"The wind played a little bit of a factor, too. We were really trying to keep the ball down."
Varano added the Tornadoes' second goal off an assist from Sami Spieller at the 28:23 mark of the first half, and Ahrensfield shook the cross bar with a shot in the 18th minute of the game.
Game Summary
To comment you must first create a profile and sign-in with a verified DISQUS account or social network ID. Sign up here.
Comments in violation of the rules will be denied, and repeat violators will be banned. Please help police the community by flagging offensive comments for our moderators to review. By posting a comment, you agree to our full terms and conditions. Click here to read terms and conditions.
Copyright ©2012 The News Item | 707 N. Rock St. | Shamokin, PA 17872 | (570) 644-6397
Privacy Policy | Opinion Posting Policy | About our ads | Questions or comments? Contact Us
