By Robert Niedzwiecki
The Winchester Star

Winchester — The strong wind at its back to start the game was a nice advantage for the Millbrook High School girls’ soccer team, but it didn’t feel nearly as powerful as the pent-up emotions swirling inside them.

“We decided to treat James Wood like Sherando and take out all of our our anger from Tuesday night out on them,” junior midfielder Mackenzie Witt said.

The host Pioneers scored twice in the first 13 minutes and shut out James Wood for the first 74 in a 4-2 Northwestern District victory Friday night, rebounding from Tuesday night’s 3-2 loss to the Warriors, a game they led with eight minutes remaining.

Freshman forward Jennifer Share scored the opening two goals on her way to her first career hat trick, but it was a play in between those two scores that truly spurred the Pioneers (2-5, 2-1 Northwestern).

After Share headed in a rebound following a blasted volley by Witt off James Wood goalkeeper Kaleigh Fincham in the 11th minute, the Colonels (0-6-2, 0-2) gave themselves a golden opportunity to tie the game when Cat Woznak was knocked down in the penalty box just one minute later. Woznak made a strong bid for the equalizer by hitting a low shot to the right, but Pioneers goalkeeper Olivia Mason was up to the challenge, diving to parry the ball away.

Katy Spencer’s rebound attempt went wide, and a minute later Share scored on the first of Witt’s two assists to give Millbrook a 2-0 lead and all the momentum it could possibly want. The Pioneers led 3-0 at the half and maintained their lead against the rain and wind in the second half.

“I think the game ball goes to Olivia tonight,” Millbrook coach Stephanie Gladden said. “She’s huge for us. I couldn’t thank her enough for coming out to play for us this year, because a game like this just proves how good she is.”

Mason, a member of Millbrook’s basketball team, was persuaded by her friends to play soccer this season for the first time since she played for Winchester United five years ago.

Though Witt called her “the best goalkeeper in the district” on a night in which she was a perfect 2 for 2 on penalty kicks (a Colonels’ attempt in the 72nd minute sailed high), Mason was quick to give an assist to Brooke Borlie (one goal) for her save on Woznak.

Though Woznak was staring to the left, Borlie, who knows Woznak’s game from club soccer, told Mason before the kick that Woznak likes to go her right.

“They want to give me all the credit, but most of the credit goes to Brooke,” Mason said. “But it was a pretty big save. It got us all going.”

Share said there was no question about that.

“It was huge,” Share said. “Olivia is an amazing goalie, and for her to [to not give up a goal on] both PKs was amazing.”

Share was pretty amazing too. After she fought through traffic on her header goal to open the scoring, she took it up a notch on her second.

Stationed sideways to the goal and with a defender draped over her, she took a cross in the air from Witt and flicked it in with her back (right) foot and into the net.

Her hat trick was complete when she somehow managed to keep her feet after getting tangled up with a defender who fell in the penalty box. Her shot to the far post put the Pioneers up 4-0 in the 47th minute.

After sitting for almost 20 minutes following her second goal, Share was anxious to get the hat trick.

“I did want to get back in there, but just saving the energy to get back in was worth it,” Share said. “It was amazing [to get three goals]. It was awesome.”

The Colonels, who were only out-shot 12-9, finished with a flurry in the final 10 minutes. Sydney Arnett, just up from the junior varsity, scored in the 74th minute, and Nikole Olson finished off a Sarah Callaham corner kick that bounced around in the 78th minute.

Colonels coach Jim Carden said it was a good finish to a strong overall effort, one that came on the heels of a game against Fauquier that James Wood lost 2-1 after being up with nine minutes left.

Carden was particularly pleased with the manner in which the team responded after losing Woznak to a leg injury in the first half.

“We were in this game,” Carden said. “We just make little mistakes against good teams, and it cost us tonight. But we’re not far away. There’s so many positives that outweigh the negatives.”

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