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Mancini’s hat trick powers Canfield
Photo
Canfield’s Anita Mancini, right, and Boardman’s Camille Holzschuh colide in the first half as they fight for the ball Monday night. Mancini scored three goals in Canfield’s 8-0 victory at Bob Dove Field.
By Curtis Pulliam
Canfield
It’s always important to send the seniors home happy on their night.
And that’s exactly what Anita Mancini did Monday during the Canfield girls soccer team’s Senior Night.
The sophomore led Canfield with three goals and the Cardinals overwhelmed Boardman, 8-0, to clinch the All-American Conference, Red Division title at Bob Dove Field.
“I was able to finish tonight,” Mancini said. “I did it for my sister.”
Her sister, Sophia, has a leg injury but was able to be on the field at the start of the match.
On the opening kickoff, a Boardman played immediately kicked the ball out so the elder Mancini could be on the field one last time.
“It was nice,” the younger Mancini said. “She really liked it.”
Canfield head coach Phil Simone wanted to make sure all the seniors were honored.
“Unfortunately, we have had that with a couple of seniors [in the past],” Simone said. “We talked to the Boardman staff before the game [to ask] if we could do it and they were all on board with it. We’re hoping to get Sophia back in a couple of weeks.”
The Cardinals got on the board nine minutes in when Anita Mancini received a pass from Haylee Klacik up the left side and drilled it past Boardman’s goaltender.
“We have been working on those kind of runs all season,” Mancini said. “So it was good to finally finish one.”
Shortly after, senior captain Bailey Fischer showed off her leg strength by firing one into the top right corner from the left side to make it 2-0.
Fischer finished with the goal and an assist.
“I’ve practiced that shot a lot,” Fischer said. “I knew I couldn’t take it straight down the line, so I cut it back looking for the net.”
After a third goal, senior goalie Raquel Abel scored on a penalty kick, the first one of her career.
“It was the best thing that’s ever happened,” Abel said.
Up 5-0 at half, Canfield added three goals in the second half despite a more physical Boardman team.
Boardman head coach Fawzi Mujahed was not happy about the team’s performance.
“It was a tough night,” Mujahed said. “I have four injured on the team, but that’s no excuse. We gave up too many easy goals.”
The Cardinals improve to 10-3 overall and 7-0 in the AAC Red.
Simone has been working with the senior class since most of them were 11 years old.
“They are very important to this team,” Simone said. “It has been another one of those special classes because I’ve watched them grow up.”
As important as the seniors are to the Cardinals, Simone knows the younger Mancini is very good, too.