By Rob Potter
GRAHAMSVILLE — October 29, 2010 — Tuesday afternoon’s non-league soccer match between the visiting Livingston Manor Lady Wildcats and Tri-Valley Lady Bears was tied at 1-1 at halftime.
But Manor scored three goals in the second half on its way to a 4-2 victory.
The Lady Wildcats took a 2-1 lead with 33:49 left in the second half when Maggi Calo scored a goal. Calo kicked the ball into the far corner of the net from about 10 yards away.
About 14 minutes later, Manor (12-3) extended its advantage to 3-1. Marissa Diescher gained control of the ball about 20 yards in front of the goal cage and sent a shot past Lady Bears’ goalkeeper Erin Smith.
But T-V (11-5) closed to within a goal at 3-2 with 5:49 left to play. While standing in the goal box, Agnes Pompeii kicked the ball over Manor goalie Kiera Browne, under the crossbar and into the back of the net. Jakki Pugh assisted Pompeii on the goal.
However, the Lady Wildcats scored an insurance goal less than two minutes later at the 4:13 mark. Paige Clancy netted the goal with a quick, low shot inside the goal post.
Diescher opened the scoring in the match on a goal with 24:05 to go in the first half. She dribbled the ball up the sideline for nearly the entire length of the field before kicking the ball into the corner of the net from about 10 yards away.
The Lady Bears evened the score at 1-1 when Pugh scored on a shot from approximately 20 yards out.
Manor had 22 shots on goal, while T-V took 11 shots. The Lady Bears held a 5-1 advantage in corner kicks.
Browne and Smith each finished the match with nine saves.
“This was a good win for us as we are trying to get ready for sectionals,” said Manor Coach Shirlee Davis, whose team was scheduled to finish the regular season yesterday afternoon with a home match against Port Jervis. “Our offense has played pretty well lately. We need to improve on defense. All of our players are working on it. On the first goal Tri-Valley had today, we left the middle of the field wide open and they took advantage of it.”
“It’s disappointing not to get a win for our Parent Appreciation and Senior Recognition,” T-V Coach Mary Feusner said. “We had an overtime match at Chester yesterday, so were weren’t at 100 percent today. We beat them 1-0, but I think that it hurt us today.”
Notes: The Parent Appreciation and Senior Recognition which Feusner spoke of took place during a ceremony at halftime of Tuesday’s match.
The nine T-V seniors – Aurora Boyes, Emily Devore, Kendra Erts, Brittany Maggio, Samantha Martin, Agnes Pompeii, Jakki Pugh, Bernadette Tierney and Emma Tingley – and their parents were introduced to the crowd. The seniors then gave flowers to their parents.
In addition, all of the other players on the Lady Bears’ roster and their parents were introduced and those players presented flowers to their parents.
“We appreciate all of our parents and all they do for our team,” Feusner said during the ceremony. “We also appreciate everything our nine seniors have done for us this season and in past years. We wish them the best of luck in all of their future endeavors.”
Both Manor and T-V qualified for the Section IX girls’ soccer tournament.
The Lady Wildcats are the No. 1 seed in Class D. They will play No. 2 seed John A. Coleman Catholic School at noon tomorrow in the Class D title match at Faller Field at Middletown High School.
The Lady Bears are the No. 3 seed in Class C. They will play at No. 2 seed Millbrook today at 2 p.m. in a semifinal match. The winner will face the winner of the other semifinal between No. 4 Webutuck and No. 1 S.S. Seward for the Class C championship at 4 p.m. Monday at Faller Field.