Pioneer Girls Edge Wood 4-3 In OT

Posted: April 3, 2015
By ROBERT STOCKS
The Winchester Star

WINCHESTER — Although the match between James Wood and Millbrook’s girls’ soccer teams didn’t count in the Conference 21 standings, the two teams sure played like everything was on the line Thursday night.

Millbrook scored three second-half goals, getting the game-winning score from freshman Leah Ackerman in the 87th minute of overtime, to edge James Wood 4-3 in a back-and-forth Northwestern District match.

“My girls played very, very had in that second half,” said Millbrook coach Matt Cottino. “I didn’t make any subs due to injuries [in the second half] and the girls played the whole 40 [minutes] plus overtime, so just their determination to keep bouncing back and keep fighting all the way to the end — I was very proud of.”

The Pioneers’ go-ahead goal came after a super direct kick from Millbrook senior defender Taylor Hicks, who took the kick from about 35-plus yards out. Hicks’ kick sailed straight in toward the right post and bounced off a couple players in the box before freshman Leah Ackerman headed it in.

“I was told it was headed up in the air and I just kind of headed into the open goal,” said Ackerman, of her first varsity goal. “It was a beautiful kick by Taylor.”

Hicks’ free kick set up the Pioneers’ game-winning goal, but she also made a nice defensive play to keep James Wood from getting a shot off with about three minutes left in regulation. Colonels junior midfielder Brianna Heustis had what appeared to be an open look at the goal about 15 yards out from the left post, but Hicks slid in front of her and blocked the shot.

The Pioneers (3-2, 1-0) scored three second-half goals with senior Casey Ackerman watching from the bench after she injured her ankle scoring her team’s first goal — and her fourth of the season — in the 29th minute to tie it at 1.

Leah Ackerman said her sister’s injury definitely inspired the Pioneers to raise the level of their play from that point on.

“It was hard because Casey, one of our best players, was injured,” she said. “I know that motivated the team to work harder and try to score a goal for her. I know personally I tried much harder for her.”

Ackerman’s go-ahead goal helped the Pioneers overcome a stellar effort from James Wood senior Alex Stanford, who scored two goals and assisted on the Colonels’ other score.

James Wood (1-3, 1-1 Northwestern) earned 11 corner kicks in the match and the Colonels showed just how dangerous they could be off those set pieces early in the match. Abigail Lanham connected with Stanford on two scores off corners.

Stanford’s second goal off a corner kick from Lanham pulled the Colonels back even with the Pioneers at 3-3 less than two minutes after Millbrook took the lead after a goal by freshman Nikki Justice.

The score remained knotted at 3 until Leah Ackerman headed in Hicks’ free kick with under three minutes left in overtime.

“We knew it was going to be a battle but this is definitely a hard one to swallow for sure,” said Stanford, who will play next fall for Lafayette. “Having it come down to a free kick really sucks. It was miscommunication between me and the goalie [Charlie Woods-Hulse]. It was a great kick — give that to [Taylor] for sure, but we just need to clean up our play in the box and our communication.”

Stanford put James Wood on the board first, scoring off a corner kick from Lanham just five minutes into the match. Lanham’s service from the left corner sailed into the center of the box and right to Stanford, who blasted it into the left panel.

After Casey Ackerman’s goal made it 1-1 at the half, Millbrook sophomore Nicole Taylor scored her first goal of the season after the ball ricocheted off the upper-right corner. The ball bounced out in front of the goal to Taylor, who knocked it past Woods-Hulse (eight saves) to put the Pioneers ahead 2-1 in the 55th minute.

Stanford helped the Colonels pull even again, blasting a shot on goal that Millbrook goalkeeper Laken Nordin (seven saves) could only deflect. James Wood sophomore Neary Casebolt raced in ahead of the Pioneer defenders and knocked in the rebound to tie it 2-2 in the 60th minute.

Although Millbrook outshot James Wood 15-11, the Colonels had plenty of chances on corner kicks (with an 11-3 advantage).

Colonels coach Jim Carden said his team needs to just shore up a few miscues on defense.

“At least two, maybe three [of Millbrook’s goals] we had breakdowns in the back,” Carden said. “To their credit — they put it in but even the last one we had that ball, but the ball bounces funny sometimes. We’ve just got to clean up our mistakes. We gave everything we had.

“They were a little more direct and they were looking for the long ball more. At the end we were both looking for it — and they got the one that counts.”

The rematch — which is the one that counts in terms of the Conference 21 standings — between the two Frederick County rivals is on April 30 at James Wood.

“We’ll definitely learn from this game tonight,” Stanford said.

— Contact Robert Stocks at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.