Midd-West takes Lady Wildcats Senior Night 2-0
BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP, PA- Monday was Senior Night at Malinak Stadium as the Lady Wildcats welcomed Midd-West who entered with nine seniors of their own. The home side packed the house with The Record Online livestreaming the event, meaning even more people at home were able to watch the senior celebration and both the Varsity and JV games. In attendance were many Lady Wildcat Soccer Alumni who were there to celebrate the night with their new batch of alumni! Both teams would battle but Midd-West would take the 2-0 victory.
Seniors Samiah Anderson, Taylor Campbell, Paige Confer, Elise Cygan, Madison Hardy, Lily Hendricks, Danice Kelly, Halle Lodek, Haleigh Peters, Julia Smith and Morgan Temple, that’s right, eleven seniors celebrated their night and filled a roster that was a full starting line-up! The game started with a mist over the stadium that created a tricky wet surface that would test both teams first touch and speed.
The game began with both teams trading possession and opportunities in their respective attacking thirds. The Lady Wildcats created some scoring chances and had the crowd thinking one would fall into the net. The closest shot was a ball that made its way to Lily Hendricks who out-jumped her mark and headed the ball only to hit the crossbar and go out of bounds. The half ended with neither side taking the advantage.
The Second half started with a slick surface that offered an advantage for the visiting team. Midd-West played the ball into their attacking third, which was played across the face of the 18 yard box into a dangerous area. The ball skimmed off the ground and was redirected by a Lady Wildcat into the back of the net. This is something you would see in the English Premier League in a weekly fashion but unfortunately resulted in the first goal and put the Lady Wildcats behind early in the second half. The home side continued to push but could not complete the final pass that would break the back line of the visiting side. As the game wore on, the Lady Cats continued to pressure, leaving them vulnerable in transition. With less than ten minutes left in the game, Midd-West was awarded a corner kick and the Lady Wildcats could not clear the ball, a second shot found the back of the net after the ball ping-ponged inside the 18. There was nothing the home side could do from then on, they could not answer going behind by two goals. The game ended with the Lady Wildcats losing by two goals.
The JV team finished their season as this would be the final game for them. The game offered a few bright spots and at times a vision of the future. The home side rotated two goalkeepers in Cora Seyler and Hannah Englert, both have shown great improvement and promise moving forward and into the future. The Lady Wildcats fought hard in the first half and were tasked at half-time of passing with a purpose and not to just smack it. Much improvement was seen with that in the second half as the composure of the players looking to play a tactical game while using technical awareness, knowing when to play it first time, when they were in trouble and when to be composed on the ball, taking a touch and completing the pass. The goal for this group of players is to use the off-season opportunities to develop healthy soccer habits, gain technical skills and tactical adjustments to fill the holes being left by the large senior group!
Head caoch Ryan Veltri said, “The Seniors have forged a path that has resembled those soccer players of the past. They have developed upon the core values of the program and created traditions that will be held highly by those underclassmen who will share their stories and memories with the incoming class next season. The seniors were a unique group who have worked hard to find an identity for the program and reverse the culture that was placed upon their shoulders. It is with great pleasure to say they will enter an alumni group that supports the Lady Wildcat Soccer program near and far, who will always have pride in the school, program and community that has supported them during their time at Central Mountain High School. We wish the seniors the best of luck in whatever path they choose and will always welcome them back as this is their home and they will always be a Wildcat! Be Dynamic!”
CM 0 – 0 = 0
MW 0 – 2 = 3
