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Mancini’s last-minute goal gives Canfield 10 straight wins
By Brian Dzenis
HOWLAND
Canfield’s girls soccer team continued to justify its place among the state’s top 10 teams Wednesday night.
Anita Mancini’s goal with 35 seconds left in the game was enough to get Canfield by Howland, 1-0, pushing the Cardinals to 10-0 on the season. The team was motivated by a chance to improve its No. 8 ranking in Division I.
“It’s what pushed us tonight,” Mancini said. “It was the adrenaline, the feelings, the emotion. It all builds up.”
Canfield throw-in specialist Elizabeth Pilolli was able to chuck the ball into the box to Mancini. With her back to the goal and at least four Howland defenders, Mancini was able to pivot and shoot. The ball struck a body on its way to the back of the net. She credited Pilolli’s toss for the chance.
“It’s awesome. Even when people see it coming, it’s just like a corner kick and it’s hard to defend,” Mancini said.
Mancini’s goal came with the team playing 11-on-11. Whether or not that should have been the case is up for debate.
With around 13 minutes left to play, Howland timed a through ball to forward Amarah Howard, who was beyond the Canfield defense and found herself one-on-one with Canfield goalie Olivia VanDevender.
“(VanDevender) has to come out, the ball comes through and she has to attack,” Canfield coach Phil Simone said. “[Howard] was 10 yards past the last defender at the top of the box, so she had to come out and make that play.”
That’s what VanDevender did and paid a heavy price for it, colliding with Howard at full speed. VanDevender sent Howard sprawling to the field and the goalie was left face-down in the grass. VanDevender had to be carried off the field.
Simone said VanDevender suffered a shin injury on the play.
Anyone wearing Howland colors on the field and in the stands screamed for a red card for VanDevender, but it never came. Howland (6-4) was awarded a free kick and Canfield took no penalty.
“I’m going to take the fifth,” Tigers coach Joe Megyesi said. “It was a nice breakaway. It just happens.”
Even Simone seemed surprised no cards were handed out.
“Personally I thought it was an offside, but that’s difficult to call with a two-man system,” Simone said. “It’s a judgment call. The player didn’t have possession of the ball, so it was a 50-50 and they collided.
“I don’t think it’s a red card, but I’m shocked she didn’t get a yellow.”
While not a top-10 team, Howland has been on the fringes of the Ohio Soccer Coaches Association rankings in Division II with some votes throughout the season. Even with a loss, Megyesi thinks his team is still top-10 material.
“We have a case,” Megyesi said. “Out of our 10 games at least seven or eight were against Division I teams and we’re Division II and we just held Canfield [to one goal].”
The Tigers have now dropped three of their last four games.
“We’re just having a heck of a lot of bad luck. We just lost to Austintown Fitch and that came in the last two minutes,” Megyesi said. “I thought we played well. We had all the opportunities, but that’s the game.”