WARREN — Howland got off to a slow start Tuesday night, but the Tigers girls soccer team ultimately dominated Warren G. Harding, 5-1, at Mollenkopf Stadium.
A less than ideal start for Howland saw the Raiders assume the offensive role, but just over seven minutes into the game, the Tigers took the lead on a goal by Ava Booth from about 20 yards out. The opener seemed to calm the Tigers, who added another point 30 seconds later on a through pass from Ava Yannucci to Grace Villwock.
“After we scored, I think we calmed down a little bit and handled ourselves better under pressure.” Howland head coach Greg Mitchell said. “But they definitely came out of the gates strong to come at us, so big credit to them for that.”
Howland goalkeeper Taylor Fairchild, who Mitchell said played a crucial role in Tuesday’s win, dived to save two free kicks from Harding midfielder Sophia Gardner in the opening 20 minutes of the first half.
Harding goalkeeper Natalie James inspired her team soon after with a spectacular penalty save.
The penalty kick was awarded after a Harding defender brought down Howland’s leading scorer, Booth, on the right side of the box. Booth lay on the turf for several minutes before being helped to the sideline with an apparent ankle injury.
“Anytime you lose a child like this, it’s a loss.” “He was a great player,” Mitchell said of Booth, who did not return to Tuesday’s game. “She brings us a lot of energy and speed up front.”
James, who missed Harding’s previous game with an injury, tried his best Tuesday as the Tigers fired a barrage of shots at goal but couldn’t stop every shot that tried to find the back of the net. As part of an offensive onslaught, Howland’s Madison Schmitz and Villwock, who scored her second goal of the game, helped the Tigers extend their lead to four points by halftime.
“Natalie is amazing” Harding head coach Kevin Brown said. “She’s probably one of the best goalies in the area and she saves penalties. I won’t say a percentage (of saves) because I don’t want to be unlucky, but she’s just amazing. I think she’s as good as any goalie in the area. If you get 15 shots on you, you’re bound to get some good shots.”
There was no significant change on the scoreboard after the break. Daniella Pagano scored Howland’s fifth goal 12 1/2 minutes into the second half, but Gardner answered back with her team-high fourth goal of the season.
Gardner, who had plagued Howland’s midfield all game, floated the ball just over Fairchild’s outstretched arm from about 25 yards out to make the score 5-1 with 13:21 left in the half.
“She manages our center.” Brown said of Gardner: “She likes to distribute the ball, but when the open shot comes, she likes to take it. … She’s a leader on the field. It’s like having another coach.”
Howland kept up the pressure and kept James working inside the goalposts, but the score remained unchanged as the final whistle blew.
After the game, Mitchell was full of praise for the Raiders.
“I thought this was probably the best Warren Harding team I’ve had in my time here.” Mitchell said. “They’re an athletic, physically competitive, hard-working team. And they’ve got players with the skill set to go with it.”
Likewise, Brown called Howland’s coaching staff one of the best in the area and said the Raiders knew Villwock, Howland’s star winger, would deliver big things. “problem” For Harding.
“I think four of their five goals came from outside. She either cut in and scored two goals or passed to other players to score. Either way, she was the driving force behind the team and made us dangerous.” “It’s a great company,” Brown said of Vilwock.
The win improves the Tigers to 4-2 on the season and 1-0 in the All-American Conference. The victory was a much-needed bounce back after a 6-1 loss to GlenOak on Saturday.
Harding (3-2, 0-1) will next face GlenOak in the final game, while the Raiders host the unbeaten Golden Eagles this Saturday.
Howland will be back in action next Monday in another AAC game when the Tigers visit Austintown Fitch.
Have an interesting story to share? Contact Preston Byers by email at pbyers@tribtoday.com. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @PresByers.
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