Hubbard, Lakeview duel to 1-1 deadlock

Ashley Bruce's goal enabled the Eagles to escape with a tie in the TAC battle.
By TOM WILLIAMS
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
CORTLAND -- Forty-eight hours after scoring a dozen times against Liberty, the Hubbard High girls soccer team found goals a lot harder to come by in Monday's matinee against Lakeview, the two-time defending Trumbull Athletic Conference champion.
Trailing 1-0 with less than 10 minutes to play, the Eagles caught a break when senior forward Ashley Bruce picked up the ball near the Bulldogs' goal line.
Bruce dribbled into an open space then shot the ball low past Lakeview goalkeeper Missy Gilroy to score and give the Eagles a 1-1 tie.
"Jordana Lima had the assist and I just ran on to the ball," Bruce said.
"It means so much because Lakeview is our big rival and it's my senior year," Bruce said of keeping their league hopes alive. "I want to win the TAC."
Lakeview coach Shawn Varley said, "Nobody on this team is satisfied with this.
"We played excellent defense. I think we had one slip-up and they capitalized on it," Varley said. "We got split once and they got it."
Two key upcoming matches
Because the TAC only counts first meetings between teams in the league race, Varley and Hubbard coach Dennis Smith agree that the outcome of the upcoming Hubbard-Champion and Lakeview-Champion games most likely will determine this year's league winner.
"I'm happy with the tie -- Lakeview is the team to beat in the TAC-8," Smith said. "They're not invincible."
Lakeview dominated during the first 70 minutes of the game, finishing with a 23-11 shots on goal advantage.
But the only goal that the Bulldogs (2-0-2, 0-0-1 TAC) scored came on a penalty kick by Alli Nero with 23:49 to play.
Nero's shot on the ground eluded Hubbard (1-0-1, 1-0-1) goalkeeper Tina Takash.
"In the last game on my first penalty shot in about two years, I lifted it," said Nero of an attempt in Saturday's game against Salem. "It was the first time I had ever lifted one [so] I decided to go on the ground far corner."
Nero knew it was big shot
Because no one had scored, Nero, a junior, admitted she felt that the heat was on before she shot.
"It's unbearable -- it's like having 20 times more pressure than if we were up by two," Nero said. "Everybody is in your head. You don't know what to think. You always think you know where the goalie is going."
Nero said she felt good about the shot as soon as the ball was kicked.
"You kind of know where it's going to go as soon as it hits your foot," Nero said.
Smith was happy his team responded after a deflating goal.
"I thought the [penalty kick call] might have been a little iffy," Smith said. "It's hard to tell from here."
Bruce credited junior sweeper Liz Crafton for keeping the Eagles in the game.
"[Sweeper] Liz Crafton was keeping the ball up -- she kept clearing the ball instead of playing with it in the backfield," Bruce said.
Takash finished with 12 saves.
Lakeview starting goalkeeper Hallie Ruggeri made four saves then left the game in the second half when her left hand was spiked while making a save. Gilroy replaced her in goal and made two saves.
williams@vindy.com