Lady Panthers inch past Harrison, increase record to 10-0-0
March 18, 2016 – The Lady Panthers celebrate a goal in the second half. Down 4-2, Starr’s Mill rallied to defeat Harrison 5-4, staying undefeated.
March 22, 2016
The Lady Panthers faced another test from a non-region opponent Friday night, but it was the Panthers who went home with smiles in a 5-4 victory over Harrison.
The match was end-to-end from the first whistle with each team getting looks at goal. Starr’s Mill jumped ahead in the fourth minute when senior Lauren Yoss’ throw bounced once in the box and senior Riley Clark headed it over the keeper for the early 1-0 lead. Harrison came right back with a quick throw of their own, catching the Panther backline unaware to tie the match at 1-1 in the seventh minute.
Starr’s Mill responded with pressure but couldn’t seem to find the final touch. Harrison, however, had golden boots as they scored on their next two shots. In the 11th minute, a Hoya free kick sailed into the box and found a wide open attacker who nodded it home for the 2-1 lead. Just five minutes later, another quick throw again caught Starr’s Mill napping and with the defense at sixes and sevens Harrison doubled their advantage to take a 3-1 lead.
March 18, 2016 – Senior Riley Clark shoots the ball past her opponent. The team, supported by Clark’s hat trick, defeated the Harrison Hoyas 5-4 last Friday night.
The Panthers began to get more and more looks with Yoss, Clark, and junior Ansley Peurifoy each finding time and space in, around, and behind the Hoya backline. Another Yoss throw managed to find Clark again and with 12 minutes remaining in the half, the deficit was reduced to one at 3-2.
The pace never let up and the game became more physical with each passing moment. Both teams managed long spells of possession with Starr’s Mill firing off a few shots, but to no avail. The fans took a breath at the half with the Panthers trailing 3-2.
In the 53rd minute, the Hoyas came flying down the flank and created chaos in front of the Starr’s Mill goal. In an attempted clearance, with the keeper beaten, a Panther defender was whistled for a foul and Harrison was awarded a penalty kick. They made no mistake, sending the keeper the wrong way, and the lead was again increased to two at 4-2.
However, as the match progressed, the Panthers seemed to gain control. Senior Leslie Logan was found consistently in midfield with sophomore Lauren Avidano, junior Ashley Broderick, and senior Laurel Parker working relentlessly defensively, in transition, and in the attack. Senior Dylan Patterson was again huge in the back with junior Ashton Nowicki proving a force in the air and the tide turned definitively.
Patterson started the final comeback with a corner in the 56th minute. A driven ball had a bend David Beckham would be proud of and the Hoya defense couldn’t turn it out as Patterson made it 4-3 directly from the corner. The energy in the team, and the stadium, was immediately lifted and the Panthers saw their opportunity.
Yoss played into the box and was fouled by a Hoya defender and Starr’s Mill was awarded their own penalty kick in the 62nd minute. Clark was cool from the spot, powering the ball past the keeper to level the score at four and the crowd was fully behind the team.
Another corner proved to be Harrison’s undoing as the Panthers again powered into the final third. Patterson delivered an inch perfect ball to the back post and Nowicki slammed it home high into the net. Starr’s Mill had their first lead since the fourth minute at 5-4 with only 4:28 left to play.
The Hoyas put in a charge to try to get back to even terms, but couldn’t find the ball they needed for a shot on frame. The 5-4 victory raised the Lady Panthers’ overall record to 10-0-0 on the season.
Starr’s Mill returns to region action tonight as they host Woodland of Stockbridge in Panther Stadium at 7:55 p.m. The boys open the varsity doubleheader at 5:55 p.m.
Edited by Morgan Evans, Staff Writer
