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MCCA girls lose heartbreaker to Warriors

 

By Kenny Varner

SHINDLE – They were in it to the very end.

It was the tale of two halves Monday as the Mifflin County Christian girls soccer team got off to a strong start, taking a 3-1 advantage into the intermission.

Unfortunately for the Lady Eagles, the Northumberland Warriors battled back with three goals in the second to take the contest, 4-3.

Offensively, the Eagles were led by Cora Gentzel who picked up a hat trick despite the loss.

The Warriors were led on the scoreboard by Anna Ulmer and Samantha Hudson who both finished with two goals.

It was a game of high energy as Northumberland had 25 shots on goal while Mifflin County Christian had 21.

MCCA goalie Sam Mitchell came up strong numerous times on the night as she stopped 11 of the Warriors shots while Warriors goalie Caitlyn Gray had six.

In the first half, the Eagles took the opening possession and put it right at the Warriors’ defense. But with the possession the ball got free down low to a wide open Gentzel. Gentzel did not disappoint as she blasted past the Northumberland goalie for the 1-0 with 36:03 left in the first.

Before the Warriors knew what hit them, the Eagles got the ball back down field in transition. They found a wide open Gentzel and she placed it nicely outside of the outstretched hands of the goalie, upping it to 2-0.

But Northumberland has an early answer as she found a wide open Ulmer in front of the net and she sent it home, cutting it to 2-1.

But the Eagles would have the last laugh of the half, as Gentzel secures her hat trick that helped give her team the 3-1 advantage as the buzzer sounded.

I tried to tell the girls at halftime that it doesn’t matter how we play in the first half if we don’t continue to play well in the second half,” Mifflin County Christian Academy Head Coach Kirk Gentzel. “Hats off to Newthumberland. They settled in and they played good soccer in the second half. On of our biggest issues in the second half, they possessed the ball.”

Things slowly dissolved for MCCA in the second, despite the players looking more comfortable in their positions.

The Warriors came out with an extra jump in their step while the Eagles were slowing down.

 Not a good combination.

At the 30-Minute mark, Ulmer posted her second of the game, cutting things back to a one-point 3-2 contest.

Both defenses kept the other in check until the clock wound down until the 20-minute mark.

The Warriors found the back of the net as Samantha Hudson caught the ball in transition, tying it at three.

As the game clock ticked away, the intensity grew.

The game looked like it might be headed to a possible overtime period as the clock ticked under the seven-minute mark.

Northumberland worked the ball back down field and Hudson finished off the scoring, giver her team the 5-4 victory.

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