GIRLS SOCCER: McConnellsburg 0, Bishop Guilfoyle 6. On November 8th, the District 5 runner-up (5-2) McConnellsburg Lady Spartans met the District 6 top seeded (6-1) Bishop Guilfoyle Lady Marauders in the elite-8 quarterfinal round of the PIAA Class A girls soccer championship playoffs held on neutral turf at Windber Stadium. The Spartans (fourth in MaxPreps PA Class A rankings of 154 schools), had won 13 of the last 14 games, were fronting the Marauders (PA “A” ranked first), a private school team with a deeper bench, more resources, and sporting a nine-game win streak. Quickly though the Marauders, sporting white jerseys to the Spartans blue jerseys, asserted control and consistently penetrated the Spartan defense, resulting in six decisive goals by halftime. In the second half, they maintained their lead despite an increase in shooting attempts from the Spartans.
In the first half, it was all-hands-on-deck for the Spartans to defensively try to slow Marauder offensive dominance. Early on the Marauders began taking shots on goal. After three minutes of play, a Marauder left wing cross delivered the ball to the center of the goal area where two strikers battled with three Spartan fullback defenders for possession. The ball was briefly deflected among the players before ultimately rebounding into the goal. Less than two minutes later the Marauders scored the second goal after a straightforward wing-to-striker pass and a short kick that the Spartan goalie mishandled. After 15 minutes of play and three consecutive corner kicks, the Marauders got a third (a Spartans’ own) goal when a corner kick deflected backward off a Spartan player’s head, ricocheted off a defending player near the goal post, and entered the goal area before being collected by the goalkeeper. With 15 minutes remaining, a Marauder left wing intercepted a kick return from the Spartans’ fullback in the backfield and executed a twenty-yard shot that sailed into the far back of the net, surpassing the goalkeeper’s outstretched reach. Seven minutes to go in a five-on-seven matchup, the Marauder offense made good use of their (home) turf play experience and the surface’s effect on ball speed and motion differences with grass. This advantage enabled them to make a one touch left wing pass to the center striker for a short-range kick resulting in the fifth goal. The sixth and last goal at three minutes from ten yards out finding a seam between three Spartan defenders. The Marauders controlled the first half having attempted 16 shots on goal (SOG) to the Spartans two.
To start the second half the Marauders changed their lineup. The Spartans moved players around to different positions to improve scoring chances and made more attempts at the goal (three shots and eight SOGs), while defensively holding the Marauders to just one SOG.
At the buzzer the final score was 6-0 with the Marauders (21-1) advancing to the Final-Four on Tuesday. The Spartans finished their strong season 20-4, reaching the Elite Eight, attaining fourth best in PA Class A, winning the 14-team Inter-County Conference championship, placing second in District 5 Class A, and setting a school record for the deepest run in state playoffs.
Stats. Goals: BG 6, Mc 0. Shots: BG 5, Mc 3. SOGs: BG 17, Mc 10. Corner kicks: BG 4, Mc 3. Keeper saves: Mc 12, BG 10.