Mount Vernon Escapes With PK's Win Over Whitefield Academy
On Tuesday, the Mount Vernon Mustangs girls soccer team hosted the Whitefield Academy Wolfpack in a key region matchup as the Wolfpack headed into Tuesday on the pitch unbeaten in region play, while the Mustangs looked to improve to 2-1 in region play and stay in the hunt for the number one seed in the region standings. Defensively, Mount Vernon, led by solid play from their back line, was able to control the field throughout majority of the game. And while the Mustangs were able to generate several shots, throughout the first and second half, they would either be off or Whitefield goal keeper Olive Krahel would come up with the save.
Meanwhile, the Wolfpack would have their fair share of shots, while not as many as the Mustangs, however, with just under a minute to go in the second half, Whitefield’s Abby May would send the ball through to Hadley Demyer and on the breakaway and near clear shot for a potential game winning goal, Mount Vernon’s Caroline Curry would make body contact in what appeared to be a foul, however officials would not make a call and eventually the game would go into the first overtime period. During the first OT period, the Wolfpack would strike first with less than five minutes to go as Caden Killimett would get through to Hannah Docabo, who’s shot would sail in the upper right corner of the net for the goal, giving Whitefield Academy the 1-0 lead.
Unable to respond in the first OT period, the Mustangs would get the equalizer in the second overtime period as Taylor Keller would score to tie the match 1-1 and eventually leading to penalty kicks being the deciding factor. The two teams would match PK’s through the first four kicks and appeared to continue the trend after Curry gave Mount Vernon a 5-4 lead in PK’s. However, on the Wolfpack’s fifth kick, senior goal keeper, Ella Parker would come up with the biggest save of the day as her sliding block to send the ball out of the net would give the Mustangs the win while handing the Wolfpack their first region loss of the season.
“The girls, the whole entire game, they banded together,” Mount Vernon assistant coach Jasmin Brown said following the Mustangs’ win on Tuesday. Brown continued by praising the girls for how well they were in control for most of the match as well, “we held possession for 90 percent of that game, we were super confident on and off the ball today. It was probably some of the best soccer I’ve seen in them,” Brown added. And while the game would need penalty kicks to decide the outcome, Brown knew she called on their “best five” to go out for the kicks.
However, while all five players made good on their kicks, the “experienced” Ella Parker saved her best for last with the game winning block to give the Mustangs the win. “I knew she was going to get it,” Brown said of the decision to put Parker in goal for the penalty kicks. “I’m so super proud of these girls. They know how to win, they know how to bring it together,” Brown added.
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