WINCHESTER — A coach doesn’t usually say, “Let me check on her full name,” when asked about someone who scored a game-winning goal, but you can’t blame Handley girls’ soccer coach Mike Danielson for being a little uncertain on Thursday.
In her first day with the team, freshman AJ Thomas fired in a high shot from inside 15 yards in the 69th minute to break a scoreless tie, and the Judges went on to a 2-0 win over host James Wood at Kelican Stadium.
The way the second half was playing out, it felt like a matter of “when” the Judges (2-1) would score, not “if” against James Wood (3-1). Handley hit the crossbar twice and the post once in the first 23 minutes, and had been denied by some impressive saves by Alaynah McGuire, who made four of her five stops in the second half.
After taking the first nine shots of the second half, Handley’s 10th proved to be the charm. After freshman defender Scarlett Pifer won possession of the ball from a James Wood player 30 yards from goal, she laid the ball off to the right as she reached the top of the 18.
Thomas ran onto it and blasted the ball high over McGuire into the left side of the goal. Moments later, Thomas was swarmed by her new teammates.
“It was fun,” said Thomas of that moment. “I’ve never had a celebration like that before, ever. That felt really nice. I really like [the players on the team]. They’re so sweet.”
An even better feeling for Thomas going forward will be that Danielson said she’s earned a permanent spot on varsity. Thomas was invited to practice with the varsity team once before, but she felt she didn’t play confidently enough. The Judges elected to keep her with the JV team.
Thomas’ second chance was created by Handley’s depleted ranks. Danielson said two of his players were sick on Wednesday, and the Judges are also dealing with injuries. The decision was made to bring Thomas and another player up from the JV team for Thursday’s game, which was moved up from Friday due to the inclement weather in the forecast.
Thomas didn’t think she’d actually play on Thursday. She didn’t take the field at all in the first half. She competed for 22 minutes in the second half, and she made the most of it.
“It felt like we were going to get a goal, because we had so many shots,” Thomas said. “[On the goal], I had the right opportunity right in front of the goal, and I just kicked the ball.”
Danielson is certainly glad the decision to add Thomas to the team paid off so quickly.
“She did well,” Danielson said. “She did what I asked when she went in. Scoring in your varsity debut as a freshman, there’s nothing wrong with that. I’m very happy for her.”
Handley would’ve been incredibly frustrated had it not won on Thursday because of how well it played against James Wood. They dominated possession and had a 17-4 shot edge.
The Judges were coming off a 1-0 loss at Sherando on Monday that had them fired up to take the field against the Colonels.
“I think we were lacking energy in the Sherando game,” Handley senior defender Audrey DeArment said. “We didn’t have the motivation to want it as much. We’re rivals [with James Wood], and we knew we had to pick up our energy. It was definitely a good turnaround.”
James Wood was never able to properly adjust to an injury to junior defender Karlie Orndorff in the sixth minute. Orndorff was hit hard from close range by a ball played by Handley.
The Judges kept the ball on James Wood’s end for much of the first half, but Handley only went into the break with a 4-3 shot advantage. The Judges’ best opportunity came after Mia Hudson — who scored the second goal — was fouled from 20 yards out, slightly left of the center of the field, in the 22nd minute. The All-State midfielder fired a high shot that McGuire was able to deflect off the crossbar.
After halftime, the Judges dominated possession and opportunities on the foreign surface of grass.
Danielson noted that the Judges’ only three games on grass this year will be at the three Frederick County schools. Handley felt it didn’t adjust to it well in the loss at Sherando, but the Judges looked plenty comfortable on Thursday.
“I just challenged them [for this game] and said, ‘Look. Do the best you can, and be as technical as you can, and I think good things will happen,'” Danielson said. “We told them to trust the game plan and trust what we’re asking you to do.”
DeArment liked how the Judges played, particularly after the break.
“We were finding open options on the sides trying to make runs up the line, and that helped us a lot,” she said.
In the 57th minute, a Hudson shot from just outside the 18 went directly off the crossbar.
In the 59th minute, Hudson flicked a cross from DeArment from the left side to the right side of the goal, but the ball bounced off the post. Having just checked in, Thomas ran onto the rebound, but McGuire made an outstanding save on a blast from Thomas.
In the 62nd minute, James Wood suffered another big loss when freshman midfielder Grace Wilson left with an injury. A minute later, Cassandra Arellano hit a rocket from just inside the left side of the penalty area, but the ball went off the crossbar. Hudson collected the rebound, turned, and fired, but her close-range shot went right to McGuire.
Six minutes later, Handley finally scored on Thomas’ shot.
In the 74th minute, Hudson gave the Judges an insurance goal with an unusual finish. Stephanie Truban played a corner kick from the right side. After the ball bounced off the ground, Hudson flicked the ball high. It bounced off the crossbar, off McGuire’s back, and crossed the goal line before the Colonels could clear it from harm’s way.
With the way the Judges’ defense was playing, an insurance goal wasn’t all that necessary. James Wood’s only shot of the second half came with just under eight minutes remaining. It was from 25 yards away, bounced twice and was easily handled by Abby Melester (two saves).
Handley brings back three starting defenders in center backs Reese Craig and Brooklyn Campbell, and DeArment as an outside back. Pifer has stepped in as the other starting outside back.
“I think we were able to contain them really well,” DeArment said. “Especially in the second half, we were better at stepping, getting to the first ball, winning the 50-50 balls for sure.”
James Wood coach Donavan Russell said the Colonels were never really in sync.
“We really had trouble kind of connecting passes this evening,” he said. “We were just really outplayed. The passing was our biggest issue. We’d win the ball, and then our passes were going right back to Handley, putting our defense and our midfield under a lot of pressure. I thought we handled it well, but being under pressure for so long, you’re eventually going to give up goals.”
Russell said losing Orndoff was difficult. He moved Kierny Prunty from the midfield to defense, and he would’ve preferred Prunty in the midfield.
Russell gave credit to the Judges.
“Handley played great,” Russell said. “They really showed up to play, and had a good game plan. They passed the ball well.”
Russell liked what he saw from McGuire.
“She did a great job on the saves,” Russell said. “She was definitely ready to play tonight.”
Handley is next in action on Monday at Fauquier. James Wood will not take the field again until April 7, when it hosts Sherando.
— Contact Robert Niedzwiecki at rniedzwiecki@winchesterstar.com
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