Tough times still linger for MC boys

By rscaife
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Updated: September 26, 2017

By Kenny Varner
LEWISTOWN – The streak continues.
Unfortunately for the Mifflin County it happens to be a losing streak.
Despite playing most of the team’s tough this season, Mifflin County is having a little trouble getting “the monkey off their backs” and pull out the win.
With the 3-0 loss to the Mountain Lions, the Huskies dropped to 1-8 overall.
Tuesday, the Huskies went up against Altoona at the Mifflin County soccer complex.
“We don’t have what it takes to win right now. Nobody has stepped up and been a leader,” Mifflin County coach Robert Lepley said. “There is no passion, so until they figure it out this is going to be the result, night in and night out.”
After taking the opening possession and taking it down to the Altoona back-third and started to set up its offense.
Mifflin County had its chances and was knocking on the door early.
However, Altoona opened the scoring at the 28-minute mark.
Jared Smidhamer caught a pass from Jarod Marasco, making it 1-0 at 28:57.
The Huskies went back into the Mountain Lions area but time in and time again Mifflin County was sent away empty handed.
Both defenses put up quite a fight the rest of the way until the game clock got to under one minute.
With 16 ticks left on the clock, Altoona snuck one in before the half.
Michael Bartley caught Mifflin County goalie Zach Burke leaning the wrong way and slipped an unassisted goal just outside of his finger tips to up the score at 2-0.
Mifflin County out shot Altoona 6-4 in the first and also had the advantage in corner opportunities by a margin of 3-1. Burke tallied two saves in the first while Altoona goalie Brady Freiwald stopped four.
Coming out of the first half, the Huskies seemed to up the tempo of their play almost to a desperation mode and went right to the heart of the Mountain Lion defense.
But much like in the first half, Mifflin County could not find an open seam to get a score past Freiwald or his defensive back line.
Less than nine minutes in to the second period, Altoona struck again to add an extra insurance goal to go up 3-0.
Alex Berardinelli picked up a pass from Bartley and sent it home rounding out the scoring at 3-0 with 32:58 still left in the contest.
Altoona’s defense stood the test of time in this and Mifflin County was tough in the square in final 30 minutes to give the visiting Mountain Lions the 3-0 shut out of the Huskies.