MC tops BMS in soccer action, 5-1
BELLEVILLE –The streak is finally over for the Mifflin County boys soccer team.
After not picking up a win the entire 2013 season, the Huskies finally notched the first win of the season, defeating a young and feisty Belleville Mennonite team that gave Mifflin County a battled before falling 5-1 Saturday afternoon at the BMS soccer field.
“We needed something like this. We needed break the curse that we had since 2012 and the kids just need to know how to win,” Mifflin County coach Robert Lepley said. “Basically, it showed itself tonight that they know how to win its just taking control of the opportunities that we create for ourselves. We create opportunities for ourselves all season we just couldn’t find a way to hit the back of the net.”
Mifflin County were led in scoring by Weston Shugarts and teammate Thomas Remy who both posted two goals each.
Belleville Mennonite’s Noah Anders blasted in the Thunders only goal of the game.
Despite the five Mifflin County goal, BMS goalkeeper Colin Peachey was very stingy in the goal area saving 16 while Mifflin County goalie Noah Fisher collected five in a winning effort.
Mifflin County opened the game with the ball and took the early momentum in the game.
The Huskies picked up three goals in the first half while the Thunder collected one. With the lead at the intermission, the visitors took a very comfortable lead as Mifflin County led 3-1.
Mifflin County struck first. With a slightly faster transition game and good ball control, the Huskies picked up its first goal when Sean Page sent a pass to teammate Thomas Remy. Remy sent it past an extended Peachey, making it 1-0 with 22:08 left in the first half.
Things evened out for much of the next 12-minutes as the up and coming Thunder made play after play in the defensive backfield, keeping Mifflin County off the board.
Though BMS was out shot 20-6 in the half, Belleville didn’t back down from the larger and bench of the Huskies.
But in the final 10 minutes of the half, the scoring would come fast and furious.
With 7:21 showing on the clock, Mifflin County’s lead grew to two when captain Weston Shugarts picked up a pass from Evan Zewe and blasted it home.
Over two minutes later, the Huskies extended the lead to 3-0 thanks to an unassisted shot by Damon Bailey.
However, the Thunder would not go down without a fight and showed that it wouldn’t quit. Anders ended the shut out and brought Belleville to within two when he got a rebound ball and sent it home, sneaking it past Fisher, closing the first half scoring to 2-1.
In the second half, the Thunder came out playing inspired ball. The team played more aggressively and took it into the Mifflin County back-third.
Unfortunately for the home team, the Huskies were able to post its fourth goal of the game only seven minutes in.
Remy hit his second goal of the game, making it 4-1.
Belleville had its chances but it just wasn’t meant to be.
After retrieving a pass at the mid-field line, Anders had a breakaway attempt that just couldn’t find its way into the goal. The shot wound up hitting the top crossbar and straight down. Fisher quickly retrieved the ball, sending the Thunder back empty handed.
“I felt that after they went up 4-1 there was a window of 15 minutes of where we could have gotten back in the game. We were looking for our target players for the final slotting ball and we just didn’t connect,” BMS coach Jason Renno said. “The one that went off the crossbar if that would have went in that would have changed the mentality and put us back in the ball game.. We gave ourselves some opportunities to score.”
As the game headed into the final 13 minutes, the Huskies would add the final exclamation point to the contest when Shugarts notched the unassisted goal with 12:44 left, ending the scoring at 5-1.