MONTPELIER — Mill River scored three times after falling behind 1-0 and came away with a well-earned 3-2 girls soccer road win against Montpelier Wednesday.
The Minutemen tied the score and then took the lead with goals by sophomore attacker Olivia McPhee. The eventual game-winning goal was sent into the net just under the crossbar with a nice touch by senior Hayley Hull in the 58th minute.
Montpelier went up 1-0 seven minutes into the game. Cricket Basa kept the ball close to her feet and dribbled past four Mill River defenders before striking a ground shot that eluded Minuteman goalie Kaylyn Cottrell.
“Their number 15 (Basa) was very scary,” Mill River coach Dave Carr said after the final horn. “Our back three and sweeper Melissa Fay did a solid job limiting her to one goal. Shereese Earle, who’s a top sprinter, chased her hard.”
The Solons struggled to keep their passing, possession game in gear in the middle third of the match, but their scoring chances began to increase as the game wore on and in the 70th minute, freshman Isabelle Boutin took a well-timed pass from Basa on the weak side and cut Mill River’s lead to 3-2.
Boutin’s score was the first goal by a Solon this season not recorded by Basa.
McPhee displayed speed and agility on both of her goals. She sprinted on to a ball 15 yards past midfield and scored 82 seconds after Basa did to tie the game 1-all.
Hull connected with McPhee with a perfect pass up the middle with 8:44 left in the first half and McPhee blazed into the 18-yard box for her second goal.
McPhee nearly completed a hat trick on a counter two minutes later, but Montpelier’s Anna Sarquiz made a timely tackle.
“We had some chances at least to tie,” Solon coach John Dellipriscoli said. “The girls stuck together well and kept at it. McPhee was very fast but we adjusted well as the game went on.”
Dellipriscoli was very pleased with the play of Boutin and fellow freshman Chloe Schiff.
“Isabelle and Chloe have really progressed just in the few games we’ve had,” he said. “Chloe made some good passes from a deep line and Isabelle put herself in some great spots.”
“Their number eight (Earle) was a phenomenal player,” Dellipriscoli added.
Montpelier goalie Allison Chadwick made eight saves for the Solons. Montpelier took three corner kicks. The Minutemen had six corners — five in the first half.
Cottrell had seven saves for the winners, including two stops in rapid succession against Boutin and Basa to protect the 3-1 lead and a later save against Basa at close range.
Montpelier nearly tied the game 2-all just before Hull’s goal when Schiff and Maralina Moore connected for a promising shot that was a couple of feet too high.
“This was a big challenge for us,” Carr said. “Kaylyn made a couple of big saves that we really needed and Fay was really solid at sweeper.
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