Staff photo / Dan Hiner Mooney’s Mia Williams (16) celebrates with her teammates after scoring a goal in the second half against Kennedy on Wednesday.
YOUNGSTOWN – The first half was a bit of a feeling-out process. Good offensive chances were rare, but the defense kept both teams in the game.
There was more offense in the second half, but neither the Cardinal Mooney nor Kennedy girls soccer teams were able to pull away, and the half ended in a 1-1 tie at Cardinal Mooney High School on Wednesday.
Four goalkeepers were used – two from each team – and apart from a few counter-attack opportunities, they were flawless.
Liviah Hunt made two stops to start the game for Cardinal Mooney. Junior Sophia Dibo started the second half for the Cardinals and stopped three shots.
Rylie Curd stopped four shots for the Eagles but was taken out of the game after colliding with a teammate with 26:10 to go. Fletcher moved into goal for her older teammate and stopped two shots.
The first 40 minutes passed without much action. The goalkeepers of both teams were tested a few times, but neither team managed to break the goal line.
Mooney coach Agni Cvercko said her team played more structured in the first half, but the Cardinals (1-2-1) were the first to strike on the scoreboard early in the second half.
With 38:49 minutes left in the second half, freshman Mia Williams received a pass from Olivia Schrickel on the right sideline. Williams used her speed to get past the Eagles in the penalty box and had enough space to take a shot.
“They kept their intensity high,” Cvercko said. “I think in the second half they were a little more panicked and tried to hold on to the win until (JFK’s Andrea Ryan) scored.”
Ryan tied the game with 19:32 left. She took the ball near the JFK 25-yard line and weaved through the Mooney defense, rebounded left after Dibo attempted a slide stop and scored for the Eagles (3-1-1).
“She’s phenomenal,” said Warren JFK coach Kayla Zoccole. “She’s someone who, when we’re behind, can get us to win, to tie, to do anything else.”
Both coaches felt some opportunities were missed. Zoccole felt her team started slow and kicked into high gear in the second half, a trend she hopes changes soon. Meanwhile, Cvercko said her team didn’t follow its shots well and the Cardinals didn’t take advantage of rebound attempts for second shots.
“I don’t want to be a second-half team anymore. I want to be a first-half team,” Zoccole said. “I want to show up and do everything we can at some point. We’ve been lucky the last few games that it hasn’t been too detrimental.”
