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The Woodstock Academy Centaurs girls’ soccer team found out it was human Sept. 29.
After pitching shutouts in the first five matches of the season, the Centaurs allowed a goal in an 8-1 win over Ledyard at the Bentley Athletic Complex.
It was a case where allowing a goal may have been a good thing.
“We responded pretty well (after the goal),” said coach Dennis Snelling.
Midfielder Linda St. Laurent wasn’t all that disappointed to see the streak end.
Ivy Gelhaus doubled her output of goals for the season in the match. The Centaurs senior scored four times to bring her total to eight.
“For Ivy to get four (goals), it shows where she is at now, confidence-wise; four shots, four goals,” Snelling said. “
Gelhaus scored early in the match off a cross from Heather Converse and Tracey made it 2-0 when she added a goal just 4 minutes, 59 seconds in.
The Colonels (3-4), however, displayed some moxie when Abigail DeRico halved the Woodstock Academy lead with a goal off a throw. The Centaurs were caught off guard on a counter attack, gave up a corner kick, and keeper Irene Askitis played a little too near post. The ball just curled into the net on the corner from DeRico.
The Centaurs needed only about 10 minutes to respond as sophomore Saracina scored off a Tracey assist and Gelhaus added her second with 6:36 left in the half on an assist from Kayla Gaudreau.
The Centaurs went into halftime with the comfortable 4-1 lead. St. Laurent scored her first goal of the season 5:17 into the second half.
Ashleigh Angle, another midfielder, also joined the scoring parade Sept. 29.
It’s a blessing when a soccer team scores early in a match.
It can also be a curse. The Centaurs girls’ soccer team didn’t know which one it would be for them.
They hadn’t scored in the first five minutes this season Sept. 27.
They didn’t mind the results as the Centaurs used an early Adeline Smith goal to get a little momentum and then added two more second half goals for a 3-0 victory over Plainfield.
Just 2 minutes, 7 seconds into the match, Gelhaus took a pass in the middle of the field and dribbled deep into the Plainfield defense.
“I saw Addy (Adeline Smith) on the wide and everybody was telling me to play it to her. I saw she was open and I knew she would take the shot and make it. It was the smartest option,”Gelhaus said. Smith did just that.
Gelhaus used her right foot to get the pass by a Plainfield defender and on to Smith’s right foot.
The freshman delivered her first career goal, a shot that was lofted above Plainfield keeper Sophie Mercer and into the opposite corner for the 1-0 lead.
The Centaurs, much to Snelling’s dismay, then settled in for much of the remainder of the half.
The Centaurs still were dominant, getting 10 shots to just two for the Panthers (4-1). But the second goal for the Centaurs wouldn’t come until early in the second half when Gelhaus tallied for a fourth time this season.
Brynn Kusnarowis sent a through ball from the Woodstock Academy half to the Panthers side where Gelhaus beat the Panther fullbacks to the ball.
She broke in alone on Plainfield keeper Madi Pearson.
The senior made the right choice. She put it just inside the right post for the two-goal Centaurs lead.
Gaudreau accounted for the third goal on a free kick from 30 yards out, putting the ball over the Plainfield wall and Pearson, but just under the cross bar.
The two wins raised the Centaurs’ record to 5-0-1
“Looking at the roster, I thought this should be one of the best teams the Academy has had in girls’ soccer and looking at the results, I think I may be right. We’re really pulling away from these teams. I think the result (versus Plainfield) was the most impressive. Not really allowing them to do much with the ball. Ledyard was a good team with good, strong players. They have had close games. It was a good result on our Homecoming, a feel-good day for the team,” Snelling said.
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director
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