FINDING WAYS: Lady Pack tops North Pitt
Published 4:33 pm Friday, April 15, 2016
Washington’s offense wasn’t firing on all cylinders quite like it had through the first 10 games of the season. The Lady Pack had scored 51 times over the course of those first 10 games, which was apparent in the way the girls created chances. However, they struggled to put the ball in the back of the net — thanks, in part, to excellent goalkeeping by North Pitt.
Even so, they managed to score four times en route to a 4-1 win. They owned possession and played much of the game in their attacking third. That helped produce a pair of Lady Panther blunders that yielded two penalty kicks — both of which Washington was able to convert on.
Jordan Prescott put the Lady Pack on the board first thanks to the first of those penalty kicks. It gave her side a 1-0 advantage 29 minutes into the contest. She continued to pressure the North Pitt defense, nearly scoring a few minutes later despite being marked by a pair of defenders.
With four minutes left in the half, a defensive lapse by Washington saw goalkeeper Julissa Perez pass the ball out. A turnover allowed North Pitt to even the game at 1-1 heading into halftime.
Washington had plenty of chances in the first half and could have taken a lead into the break. It didn’t seem to frustrate the girls, though, which was impressive considering the team’s youth.
“The opportunities we had, we could have scored a lot more,” coach Ed Rodriguez said. “For some reason, we were off. It’s nice when you’re off and you still put in four goals. … But I’m a perfectionist. I figure if you expect 100 percent and get 75, it’s still pretty good. You have to shoot for the moon to hit the top of the mountain.”
The Lady Pack took the lead thanks to a wonky goal 11 minutes into the second half. Berenice Chavez sent in a corner kick, which was cleared right back out to her. She crossed the ball right back into the box and it deflected off a defender and into the net.
“That last goal we had, that was all hustle by a freshman,” Rodriguez said of Chavez’s late marker. “She stuck her foot there and got a roller, but that roller counts just as good as a 50-yard from half field. It doesn’t matter. If it goes in, it’s a goal.”
Sydney Edwards gave Washington some breathing room with a penalty kick in the 64th minute. Chavez added to the lead in the final minutes when she chased down the ball and dinked it past the keeper.