Girl's Soccer - Millbrook Headed To Regionals After Upset

Posted: May 24, 2016
By JERRY HOLSWORTH
Special to The Winchester Star

WINCHESTER — It’s safe to say the Millbrook girls’ soccer team likes tournaments this season.

The Pioneers were 2-12 in non-tournament games, but won twice to capture the Frederick County/Winchester Kick-off Soccer Friendlies event and now have a chance to take the Conference 21 West title.

Sixth-seeded Millbrook pulled off its second consecutive upset, stifling second-seeded James Wood’s powerful offense in a 1-0 triumph.

The Pioneers (6-12) will travel to fifth-seeded Woodgrove at 6 p.m., tonight for the conference title. The Wolverines edged top-seeded Handley 2-1 after the game went to penalty kicks.

Millbrook’s victory over the Colonels was an intense matchup between James Wood’s formidable front line headed by Emily Denton, the leading scorer in the area with 35 goals, and a young Millbrook defense.

“Denton is a great player,” Millbrook coach Matt Cottino said. “We watched film and we knew the team we were playing today. We made some adjustments, but Wood had a lot of opportunities. In many ways, we were very lucky today.”

The inspiring performances by freshmen Rachel Keeler and Kelsey Riley and sophomores Nikki Justice and Carrington Nordin sent the Pioneers fans into a frenzy and the Wood fans scratching their heads.

“We had a lot of help from our coaches and our teammates,” Justice said. “We just kept our eye on the ball. A lot of those shots were really close though. It is just awesome that we’re going to be playing for the championship. We’re all really excited and we’re determined to take it to them.”

The game itself looked like anything but a Millbrook victory. The Colonels began by driving deep into the Pioneers’ end and stayed there for most of the game. For 14 minutes, Wood attacked Millbrook’s goal repeatedly and nearly scored three times.

But a counter-attack made the difference. A long Millbrook clearing pass put Colonel defender Adrienne Thomas in the unenviable position of having to cover two Millbrook players in the Wood penalty area.

Meredith Sigler took the ball and went straight at Thomas and when the Colonel senior committed to covering her, Sigler tapped it to teammate Emily Learn who blasted it past Wood goalkeeper Claire Beccaccio for a score with 26 minutes left in the half.

“We were down in the box and Meredith Sigler tapped it over to me,” Learn said. “I turned and I was wide open. I hit it and it went right to the corner. It was pretty exciting. It is pretty awesome to come into the tournament and then bring it to everybody.”

Learn’s goal hardly slowed down the Colonels who immediately returned to Millbrook’s end of the field and attacked with passion.

But, Pioneer goalkeeper Laken Nordin was no newcomer to conference play and the senior performed brilliantly.

“Wood was in our end of the field most of the game,” Cottino said. “... Laken just played a great game in goal, but it’s been that way all year. She makes saves and at times I really have to wonder how she was able to make them. She’s been the heart of this team all year and is our MVP.”

With 6:45 left in the half, a cross from right wing by Madison Myers hit Denton, who sent a header straight for the Pioneer goal from three yards out. Nordin, however, got a hand on the ball and deflected it.

Katie Padgett headed the deflection back towards the Millbrook goal only to watch helplessly as it sailed just over the crossbar.

James Wood kept the pressure on in the second half. Denton took a ball within seconds of the second half whistle and just missed the equalizer. Four minutes later, Brianna Heustis sent in a hard shot, but Nordin responded with a diving save.

Nordin withstood 18 Wood shots for the game, including 11 in the second half. She finished with nine saves.

When Millbrook got another opportunity late in the game, Beccaccio stopped a shot by Lauren Reed from just three yards out that hit her squarely in the head .

“We did everything right today except put the ball in the net,” Wood coach Jim Carden said. “That’s it. You really can’t say anything else. Millbrook also played well on defense. They got the one goal they needed and we couldn’t finish.”