Central Mountain Girls Soccer Falls to Midd-West in Conference Match

MIDDLEBURG — The Central Mountain Lady Wildcats traveled to Midd-West on Wednesday night for another divisional conference matchup. Despite a strong start, the Lady Wildcats couldn’t hold off the Lady Mustangs, who eventually broke through with three first-half goals, sealing the momentum for the home team.

Central Mountain fought hard for the first 25 minutes before Midd-West found the back of the net. Head Coach Ryan Veltri remarked on the defensive struggles: “Coverage was an issue, and staying with marks became a theme. The second goal left three players open to head home a cross that wasn’t cleared after a corner kick.” The Lady Mustangs added two more goals before the halftime whistle.

In the second half, the Lady Wildcats showed more fight, responding to the physical play from Midd-West. Autumn Sneath was a standout in midfield, tirelessly covering ground in an effort to generate offense for Central Mountain. Ashlyn Zener, making her first varsity start, worked hard to adjust to the pace of play at the next level. Senior captain Jazzy Anderson gave the Lady Wildcats a glimmer of hope by scoring the team’s first goal of the season — and her first of her senior campaign — after a gritty battle in the box. Anderson’s goal marked a positive turning point for the Lady Wildcats, as they matched the intensity of the Mustangs for the remainder of the match.

“If we had come out with the same mentality in the first half, we might have seen a different outcome,” Coach Veltri noted, reflecting on his team’s improved second-half effort.

The JV team also faced off against Midd-West in a modified game, playing with one fewer player for much of the first half. Freshman Kylee Markle scored her first career high school goal, putting the Lady Wildcats ahead early, but Midd-West equalized shortly after. The game went back and forth until the Lady Mustangs snatched a late winner with less than a minute remaining, securing a narrow victory.

Central Mountain will look to bounce back as they prepare to host PHAC powerhouse Montoursville at Malinak Stadium on Saturday, September 14th, with varsity kickoff set for 2:00 PM.