AUBURN — It’s hard to score when the offense is denied getting the ball anywhere near the cage.
Just ask Mountain Valley.
The Falcons managed just a pair of shots as the Oak Hill defense kept Mountain Valley out of their end of the firld for most of the afternoon as the Raiders posted a 4-0 victory in the quarterfinal round of the Class C South playoffs Wednesday.
Seniors Lindsey Wright and Lexi Fuller anchored the defense, keeping the ball away from goalie Mackenzie Thibeault anytime the Falcons attempted to push the ball into their zone.
“They are a great duo. The way that they cut on and wait for that perfect second to anticipate that shot and even send it across the field, they’ve been doing it all year,” Oak Hill coach Betsy Gilbert said.
A key to their success has been knowing where each other is, and how well they communicate. Playing side by side at these positions for the the past three years has paid off. Wednesday was no different.
“Yeah, we definitely communicate well,” Fuller and Wright said simultaneously.
Kiera Young started the scoring by punching in a loose ball in front of the cage eight minutes into the game. Mountain Valley had possibly its best scoring opportunity of the game with 16:01 remaining in the first half. Following a timeout, the Falcons tried pressuring Thibeaul,t but were stymied once again by the Raiders’ defense.
“We didn’t really get to see their defense much, as we couldn’t get the ball down there,” Mountain valley coach Melissa Forbes said.
The Raiders outshot the Falcons 18-2.
Hayden Spencer tallied the Raiders’ second first-half goal when she took a pass from Abby Asselin, giving them a 2-0 lead at the half. Oak Hill (14-1) continued their distribution of scorers, getting second-half goals from Asselin and Zoe Buteau.
“We don’t have one player, we have a full team. All year long we’ve been doing this,” Gilbert said.
“All ten field players have scored this year,” she added.
The win now sets up a rematch between with Lisbon in the next round of the playoffs, an MVC rival Oak Hill has already defeated twice this year.
“We’re excited about this win, but we’re looking forward to the next round,” Wright said.
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