In Mars Hill Tuesday afternoon, Penobscot Valley scored all three of their goals in the first half as they defeated Central Aroostook 3-0.
Prior to the game, the Panthers sat atop the Class D standings with a 5-1 record. The first goal of the game started with the defense. As Central Aroostook attacked, PVHS goalkeeper Brooklynn Raymond came out of the net to make a sliding grab of the ball. She quickly sprung to her feet and smartly rolled the ball to attacking-midfielder Lila Cummings. With a gap in the midfield, Cummings carried the ball uncontested past midfield, sidestepped a defender as she got close to the 18-yard line and fired a shot that deflected off the fingertips of a diving Charlie Pierce and into the corner of the net.
The second goal came from offensive pressure, as Savannah Durost pressed high on the outside defender, causing the ball to deflect to Rylee Moulton. Moulton fired an angled shot across the box toward forward Charlotte Brochu and the outcoming goalie Pierce. With the high speed action, the ball deflected off Brochu’s defender and ended up in the net with Moulton getting credit for the score. The final goal came with under eight minutes to go in the half, when Moulton came back to receive the ball just over midfield. She turned upfield, layed out a lead pass to Brochu who immediately passed it back for a perfectly executed give and go. Moulton got past the final defender and found the left corner for a 3-0 lead. The second half had opportunities for both teams, but the goalies and defenses kept the ball out of the net the rest of the way.
Raymond saved all ten shots she saw for the 3-0 Lady Howlers, as her and the defense notched their second shutout of the year. Penobscot Valley continues their busy week of three road games, as they travel to Central of East Corinth on Thursday. Pierce faced 19 shots for Central Aroostook, and turned away 13 of them. They dropped to 5-2 on the season and will host the Easton Bears on Friday.
PVHS pictures from top to bottom- #3 Savannah Durost and #8 Charlotte Brochu- courtesy of Stacey Feldmus Photography
