In Howland under the lights on Friday evening, the Lady Howlers took time to celebrate their eight senior team members and then defeated Narraguagus 8-0 in girls soccer action.
Senior manager Emerson Lindsay, as well as players Gabby Grant, Brooke Champion, Aubrey Dionne, Harlee Glidden, Ashlyn St. Cyr, Mia Neal, and Emma Potter were recognized during a pregame ceremony and immediately took to the pitch to square off against the visiting team. Penobscot Valley had lots of chances to score early, but Narraguagus goalkeeper Paidyn Cashman played outstanding in keeping the ball out of the net, stopping the first twelve Howler shots many of them one on one opportunities.
PVHS finally broke open the scoreless game when Ashlyn St. Cyr won a ball on the right flank, and quickly found Lila Cummings streaking in the middle of the field toward the 18 yard line. Cummings positioned the ball to her right foot and blasted a shot into the lower left corner. She struck again 40 seconds later, when she received an outside chip from Aubrey Dionne and fired it under the crossbar on the right side. Rylee Moulton would score the final goal of the half, when St. Cyr fed her a beautiful through-ball which Moulton put past the keeper for the 3-0 halftime lead.
The Lady Howlers would come out flying in the second half, as Cummings completed the hat-trick just 88 seconds in from an assist by Moulton. For good measure, Cummings added another goal off an Emma Potter corner kick as she collected with her back to the net, pivoted, and scorched an off-balanced shot past Cashman. Moulton found herself one on one with the keeper from a perfectly placed pass from Cummings that she was able to kick while sliding toward the net. A Narraguagus defender stopped the ball at the goal line, but Moulton quickly got back on her feet and finished the shot. The team’s seventh goal came when left bac k Potter had her own pass deflected back to her outside the 18. She collected it, zipped the ball past the back line and tucked it in with her right foot. The final score of the game came from Harlee Glidden, who registered her first varsity goal. Glidden, who usually plays midfield, streaked to the center of the goal box on another Potter corner kick and aggressively knocked the ball in past the goalie. The game ended about one minute later due to the new 8-goal mercy rule.
For the game, goals were scored by Cummings (4), Moulton (2), Potter, and Glidden, and assists were dished out by St. Cyr (2), Potter (2), Dionne, and Moulton.
Penobscot Valley improved to 11-0 on the year, and currently sit in 2nd place in D North. Brooklynn Raymond collected all four shots she saw for the winning team, who will travel to 7th place Bangor Christian on Tuesday.
For the Lady Knights, Cashman was terrific in net helping keep the game within reach in the first half with her play. Her and Sarah Grant combined to save 25 of 38 shots for Narraguagus, who dropped to 0-9 and will travel to Woodland on Wednesday.
