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Mooney’s Wollet scores two goals vs. South Range
By ALEXIS BARTOLOMUCCI
beaver township
Friday night was filled with firsts during Cardinal Mooney and South Range’s girls soccer season opener.
The lights shined for the first time at the newly opened Rominger Sports Complex, where the Raiders hosted their first game of the season against the Cardinals.
Thomas Beck began his first season as Cardinal Mooney’s head coach with a win.
“I’m very, very fortunate. I inherited a great team, a great group of girls,” Beck said. “It’s nice to have that as a coach.”
Cardinal Mooney defeated South Range with a score of 4-0. The Cardinals took an early lead and made it stand with a shutout.
“He’s pushed us very hard — he’s been a great coach,” Mooney’s Bre Evans said.
Freshman Anna Wollet scored the first goal of the game with less than 20 minutes to go in the first half. Within one minute, Gia Dorio scored the Cardinals’ second goal of the night. Both goals gave the girls the momentum they needed to continue playing hard throughout the game.
“I felt that we moved the ball very well and we worked as a team,” Evans said.
Beck said he thought the Cardinals came out a little slower than he would’ve liked, but was happy with how the girls responded after getting over the first-game jitters.
“There’s a lot that we need to work on,” Beck said. “With that being said, I have high expectations [for the season].”
“I was nervous at first because it was all brand new,” Wollet said. ”But I’m a lot more comfortable now and I love all my teammates.”
With the Cardinals leading 2-0 at the half, the Raiders ran onto the field with more aggression and the eagerness to make a comeback and win in the second half.
“They’ve got to be more aggressive. More aggressive to the ball, win the ball, aggressive on offense and aggressive on defense,” South Range head coach Paul Lindstrom said.
Lindstrom said his biggest challenge this season is getting all of the girls playing time. The Raiders have 14 new players and a roster that has grown to 30.
Less than seven minutes in the second half, Wollet scored her second goal of the game with an assist from Evans.
“My teammates definitely helped me, Bre and I work well together,” Wollet said. “I couldn’t have gotten the goals without my teammates.”
Evans scored the last goal of the game with less than 20 minutes left in the second half.
South Range goalie Elizabeth Veneskey finished with nine saves.
“I’m looking forward to a good year — I see it playing out well,” Lindstrom said. “We have great girls with great attitudes with athletic ability.”