Skip to main content

GIRLS SOCCER: Early goal stands in Waynesboro's win over Greencastle-Antrim


WAYNESBORO >> Take a quick look at Thursday night's boxscore, and it may be tough to tell how much success Waynesboro's girls soccer team had against Greencastle-Antrim.

Despite being doubled up in shots (14-7) and corner kicks (4-2), the Maidens controlled possession and scored an early goal for a 1-0 Mid Penn Colonial Division win.

After six straight losses to Greencastle (5-3-1, 3-3 MPC) from 2011-13, Waynesboro (8-2-1, 5-0-1 MPC) is 3-0-1 against the Blue Devils since the start of last season.

"It's a great rivalry, and both sides battle so hard when we meet," Maiden coach Brian Fisher said. "I respect the way they came out and battled, and fortunately we were the better team today."

Just two minutes into the game, Greencastle lined up for a corner kick, but the Maidens gained possession and quickly started working the ball upfield on a counterattack.

After a few passes from the back, Kennedy Chandler split a pair of defenders and raced ahead to receive a through ball. Blue Devil goalkeeper Jenay Faulkner raced out to try to beat Chandler to the ball, but Chandler got to it first and sent a pass to Raven Green in the middle of the field. With defenders closing in, Green shot on her first touch and sent the ball into the middle of the open net.

"My first thought was just don't miss. Don't hit it so hard that you miss," Green said. "But I feel like is was more of a team goal than anything. We worked it up the field so well together, and I was just the person to finish it off."

Fisher said, "We try to play possession soccer, and that was a perfect example. It came from four to five passes, and it was just an awesome goal."

For the rest of the first half, the Maidens continued to control the ball and limit Greencastle's chances. The Blue Devils had six shots in the first half, but none of them tested Waynesboro keeper Taylor Welty, who needed just two saves to preserve the shutout.

"It's a little frustrating, but I think we did very well and continued to progress," Greencastle striker Ally Rudy said. "We know we could have done better in the first half, but in the second half we started to possess and get the ball wide."

The Blue Devils settled down in the second half and had more chances because of it. Their best chance to score came late in the game when a ball was sent across the face of the goal from the right side, but it was just outside the reach of Rudy's sliding foot.

"I keep telling the girls that we might have used up all of our luck from our playoff run last year," G-A coach Greg Cole said. "I don't know how many times that ball rolled across the face of the goal, but we just couldn't get a touch on it. I think this game will do a lot for us when the postseason rolls around."

NOTES >> Rudy had a few chances from outside the 18 in the second half that went just high of the goal ... Cole thinks those are going to start finding the net as the season goes along ... Waynesboro had another breakaway chance in the second half, but Faulkner made a great reaction save to keep the score at 1-0.

Waynesboro 1, Greencastle 0

Greencastle00—0Waynesboro10—1

First half — (W) Raven Green, asst. Kennedy Chandler, 2nd minute.

Shots — GA 14, Way 7; Shots on goal — GA 2, Way 4; Corner kicks — GA 4, Way 2; Saves — GA 3 (Jenay Faulkner), Way 2 (Taylor Welty).