JMS rolls over Grace Prep in girls soccer action

By Kenny Varner
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Updated: October 3, 2015

McALISTERVILLE – In their second match up of the season, the Juniata Mennonite girls soccer team can primed and ready for action as they went up against a depth deprived Grace Prep team in a ACAA contest Monday afternoon.
The veteran laden Lions wasted little time scoring early and often in the contest and then coasted to. 6-0 shut out of Prep.
“We played a nice first half and that led to being able to play a lot of kids in the second half. That’s one thing we take pride in. I think there was only one game that weren’t able to get everybody in,” said Juniata coach Todd Taylor. “It’s really been a fun year. In the second half we played two or three girls that didn’t get to play in the first half to try to give them valuable game time.”
It took just minutes for the Lions to take control of the ball.
With the ball soundly in the Grace Prep back-third, the pressure was getting to the visitors.
Less than five minutes of constant pressure, JMS opened the scoring.
Alicia Glick found an open Alana Shambach in mid stride. Shambach took the pass and slid it past Prep goalie Becca Seibel, making it 1-0 with 35:29 left on the clock.
For the first 10 minutes, JMS was relentless on the goal area and before Grace Prep knew what hit them Maggie Arnold put her team up by two, tickling the twine with 28:21.
Arnold, who finished the game with a hat trick, picked up her second goal of the game in picture perfect fashion, taking a pass and placing a header in a crowded circle. Her header upped the lead to three with still 27:31 left.
Grace Prep had its moments and chances midway through the half but couldn’t put any kind of momentum together to notch anything on the scoreboard.
Despite down by three, Prep continued to battle.
Arnold got free with 14:21 left in the half and picked up her final goal of the afternoon, increasing the tally to four.
However, as the first half started to wind down under 10 minutes, Juniata would take one more drive down into their opponents end and was able to cap their fifth goal.
Shambach broke loose on a breakaway attempt and ran past the back line and then forced a shot that sizzled past Seibel and into the back of the net.
With the 5-0 halftime lead, it was the second team’s chance to show the fans what they could do.
“We’re a team. This team this year is a very tight knit group. It’s great to have kids that can come in and fill in, ” Taylor said. “We talked at halftime about continuing to play our game and not letting up and keeping the ball moving, inside and out. Defensively, there was one girl who really got through but than that it was a good game to get some looks at a lot of different kids.”
In the second, Grace Prep was able to keep the Lions off the board for most of the half.
Unfortunately, Prep wasn’t able to take advantage of the opportunity and were kept off the scoreboard as well.
With 10:37 left, Juniata’s Christen Heiser found a wide open Chloe Campbell and sent a pass her way. Campbell sealed the deal as she sent one to the corner of the net, ending the game at 6-0.
JMS led in shots on goal by a 28-5 margin and led in corner opportunities by a 5-2 margin.
The Lions will be back in action on Thursday as they play Centre County Christian at the Mifflin County Christian Academy in Shindle.