Lerch and Coull Propel Clarion Area Girls Soccer to 6-0 Shutout over Keystone On Senior Night (Posted 10/20/20)
(Article and images by Matt Lerch) Above: Seniors with their Coaches (L-R) Assistant Coach Nikki Glenn, Emily Grabiak, Hannah Hazlett, Head Coach Chris Schonbachler, Jenna Miller, Ava Cherico, Assistant Coach Stephanie Lias.
The Clarion Area Girls Soccer team met the Keystone Panthers for the second time during the regular season, at home on a chilly and misty, characteristic fall evening, on the Clarion Area High School field on Monday, October 19th. The Bobcats won 6-0, with Evelyn Lerch scoring 4 goals and Lexi Coull scoring 2 goals, while the team exhibited Bobcat pride wearing their throwback jerseys on Clarion’s Senior Night.
The Bobcats opened up their attack early in the first half, with two crosses within two minutes from right wing Senior Captain Emily Grabiak to forward Evelyn Lerch with header attempts that both went awry. Keystone answered with their strong defense, bolstered by Rori Vickers shooting the ball up field several times in the first half penetrating the Bobcat midfield only to be stopped, by Bobcat goalminder Chesney Boggess.
The Bobcats kept up the literal aerial assault in the first half, with Lexi Coull banging her first attempt off the cross post with a resounding din reverberating throughout the complex. The first goal was finally scored when Evelyn Lerch stopped a Keystone goal kick with a dead ball header and quickly found advancing Coull, who shot top shelf for a 1-0 Bobcat lead.
The second goal was scored in an unorthodox way. As the ball was kicked by Bobcat midfielder Alex Leadbetter into the right corner. Lerch gave chase. Simultaneously the Panthers’ goaltender came to the corner of the box, only to have Lerch reach the ball first for a cross to Coull, for her second score on a wide open goal for a 2-0 Bobcat lead. Right defender Robyn Stahlman met increasing Panther pressure with speed and aggressiveness to stop advances on her goalie.
Right before the end of the half, the passing technique of the Bobcats shined as Coull found Senior Captain Ava Cherico open wide on the right side. Cherico fed Lerch for her first goal of the evening. Halftime was reached with a 3-0 lead by the Bobcats, when the temperature began to drop even more on the muddy soccer field.
At the opening of the second half, Coull was speeding down the right sideline with the ball, dribbling through the midfield, when she popped the ball over the defense, with Lerch taking the pass and scoring on the bottom right side of the goal for a 4-0 lead. The Keystone defense was solid despite the score, with multiple chase downs and kicks out of bounds. The Panther defense shot up field to the Keystone midfielder, who proceeded to advance the ball to the left side of the Bobcat territory. Keystone’s forward Ali Clark took a shot on goal with goal tender Chesney Boggess making a last minute hand save.
The Bobcats offense wasn’t done working. Leadbetter took two more shots that just missed over the goal. Senior Captain defender Jenna Miller was repositioned to offense and took several shots on goal, only to miss just wide. Senior defender Hannah Hazlett also was repositioned up top and took two shots on goal, peppering the goaltender. Miller finally helped make pay dirt, when she crossed a goal to Lerch for her hat trick goal making the score 5-0.
Lerch’s final goal of the evening came when Leadbetter shot on goal and was stopped by the goalie with Lerch taking the rebound, making a trick shot to finish her night with 4 goals, a personal record as a Bobcat.
With the 6-0 win against Keystone, the Bobcats find themselves in playoff contention with their 6-5 record. A depleted and injured Bobcat bench has been bolstered by a renewed sense of optimism, with Senior Ava Cherico back in the roster rotation. The Bobcat girls close the regular season Thursday, October 22nd, at home versus Franklin at 6:30PM.
(Thanks to Matt Lerch for this article and images. Keep it up Lady Cats!!!!!)