Score off deflection allows Mechanicsville to escape New Kent with 1-0 victory

New Kent’s Emily Ward (00) tries to clear the ball from the goal as contact is made by Mechanicsville’s Kendra Previs (7).

Robb Johnson photo

A freezing cold Mar. 21 girls’ soccer contest saw offensive struggles by both the hosting New Kent Lady Trojans and the visiting Mechanicsville Lady Mustangs. And while the temperature didn’t affect the outcome of the game, it proved that the battle of defenses and goalkeeping could change at one instance.

A goal by Mechanicsville’s Bailey Altizer midway through the second half proved to be the only score of the night, providing the Lady Mustangs a 1-0 win over New Kent.

In the first half, both defenses were on showcase in the contest. For Mechanicsville, they only allowed the Lady Trojans one shot on goal at the seven-minute mark. For New Kent, their defense ran off multiple goal attempts, while goalkeeper Emily Ward denied scores for the guests. By the end of the first half, the teams were deadlocked with no score.

In the second half, Ward continued to make save after save, denying shot attempts by Mechanicsville’s Kyndra Jewell. And when Ward wasn’t making score-saving plays, it was teammate Olivia Allen who ran interference, denying Altizer a goal at the 28:04 mark.

But for the Lady Trojans, a breakaway by Altizer would position herself one-on-one with Ward. This time, the Lady Mustang kicked the ball, deflecting off a New Kent defender. When Ward went to clear the ball, she slipped, allowing Altizer to step around and punch the ball in at the 19:58 mark to give the visitors the advantage.

Mechanicsville’s defense continued to keep New Kent in check. The Lady Trojans’ last gasp came with two minutes in the game, as they hosts were able to breakaway towards the goal. Unfortunately, the visitors were able to steal the ball and clear it downfield, allowing time to expire.

New Kent’s Lady Trojans drop to 1-2 on the season.