MORGANTOWN — The Morgantown girls’ soccer team captured its second sectional title in a row by downing Wheeling Park 4-0 at Pony Lewis Field on Thursday night under the lights.
MHS used a combination of solid attack and stout defense to keep the visitors in check while building a lead it wouldn’t look back from.
“I think that this was a good fight and it kept us on our toes,” MHS head coach Bri Frontuto said. “We were ready and we know our strengths and played too them today. I’m really proud of this team for the effort they showed today.”
The opening half began with the visitors seeing the more positive possession on offense. The Patriots used some sound passing and good attacking play to show some threat in the early stages of the match. The Mohigans eventually settled into the match and calmed themselves down as a team, after that it didn’t take long for the opening goal to be found.
MHS junior Ariana Borneo stole the ball at midfield and found her striker, senior Emily Carpenter, with a perfect pass that left only the keeper to beat. Carpenter gave her team a 1-0 lead with a calm finish into the bottom right corner of the net at the 27:15 mark of the first half.
With momentum now in their hands and a lead as well, the Mohigans stayed in control of the final 25 minutes but didn’t add another goal and took a 1-0 lead into the locker room at the half.
Just as the first half, the second half opened with the Patriots seeing the majority of possession on the offensive side of the ball. Just over 10 minutes had passed in the second half when WP played a ball into the box that was fumbled by MHS keeper Camdyn Smith but cleared quickly after.
The first half script continued to carry over into the second as again, the Mohigans found a goal on the end of the WP momentum. Gracie Brown doubled the MHS lead with 26:28 left to play after working the ball into the box and firing a shot into the top corner with her left foot.
Less than 10 minutes later, MHS found its third goal of the night as junior Railey Reeves found the ball at her feet in front of the goal after a scrum before tucking it into the goal.
Brown added her second of the night, the fourth for MHS, five minutes later after a free kick was given just outside the 18-yard box. She sent a ball into the box that somehow bounced through everyone untouched and into the back of the net unexpectedly. Brown’s brace gave her team a 4-0 lead with 17:38 left to play in the match.
That score would hold to the final whistle with MHS taking the game and advancing to next week’s Region 1 championship match.
“This was one of the best locker room atmosphere’s we’ve had all season,” Frontuto said. “Going forward we want to continue being confident and positive in our attitudes and our game. We know every game can be our last and we need to take it game by game and be ready. We are looking forward to regionals.”
MHS will play Buckhannon-Upshur next Thursday in the region championship at 7 p.m. at Brooke High School with the winner advancing to the state tournament.
