MORGANTOWN — The Morgantown Mohigans and University Hawks met atop Bakers Ridge Tuesday night for a Class AAA girls’ soccer match-up in the Mohawk Derby.
After a scoreless first half, MHS junior forward Ella Miller scored a brace for the Mohigans (9-0-1), with both of her goals coming in the second half of a 2-0 victory over the Hawks (4-5-2).
MHS head coach Bri Frontuto praised her team’s effort against UHS’ solid defensive line.
“I think it’s good for us to play against a defense that packs it in a little bit,” she said. “It’s not the first or last time we will see that this year. Being patient and utilizing space to move the ball around quickly was vital for us, especially in the second half when the pace of play picked up a little.”
The Hawks’ head coach, Graham Peace, acknowledged his team’s effort to remain tactically strong in the defensive third of the field but was sure to point out the offensive struggles his team experienced without producing a shot on target.
“We couldn’t be happier with how the girls stuck to the game plan and what we wanted to do against them and their playmaking,” he said. “You’re never happy with a loss, but holding that team to two goals takes a solid performance. We need to possess the ball as they do on offense to learn how to put together those plays that result in chances. Despite the result, I’m pleased we gave them a good game.”
The Mohigans possessed the ball on offense for nearly the entirety of the first half and produced 15 attempts toward the UHS goal in the opening 20 minutes.
UHS sophomore goalkeeper Ila Roberts played well for the Hawks between the posts, not allowing the Mohigans to score for the entire first half and keeping her team level at the break.
“This is actually Ila’s first year playing goalkeeper,” Peace said. “She was our player of the game for me. They are an incredible team.”
After not finding the back of the net in the first half, the Mohigans finally broke through five minutes into the second half off of a corner kick. The ball bounced in front of the UHS goal before Miller rose to meet it with her head, opening the scoring and giving MHS a 1-0 lead.
“Ella is so physical, and she knows where to find the ball at the right time,” Frontuto said. “She has a high game sense, and she’s able to put the ball in the right places when she gets the chance.”
Miller added her second goal with 19:09 left to play in the game, doubling the lead with a well-placed shot to the far-right corner of Roberts’ net.
UHS found some offensive possession in the final ten minutes but could not produce anything threatening as the MHS defensive line remained solid when called upon.
MHS took the contest, 2-0.
The Hawks will return home on Saturday at 1 p.m. against Buckhannon-Upshur, and the Mohigans will enjoy a break until the start of OVAC tournament play next week.
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