Second half scoring surge highlights New Kent 6-0 win over Essex

Essex's Abigail Hylton (10) tries unsuccessfully to screen New Kent's Mary Critz away from the ball during first half action in Monday's 6-0 Lady Trojan triumph.

Alan Chamberlain photo

Goalkeeper Sara Buchanan had sort of an uneventful outing while guarding the net for New Kent’s Lady Trojans in Monday’s soccer match with visiting Essex. The lone visitors’ shot of the first half sailed wide, thus she was never called on to make a save.

But when play resumed after intermission, Buchanan took over one of the forward slots on offense. Apparently, she lobbied her coach for the change.

“She kind of begged me for that,” admitted Lady Trojan coach Irene Bierie.

And the move paid off. Buchanan punched in a pair of goals to add to a 2-0 advantage and help the Lady Trojans cruise to a 6-0 shutout. The hosts improved to 2-1.

With Buchanan enjoying a relaxing first half in goal, the Lady Trojan offense controlled play, launching 10 shots at the Essex goal over the first 30 minutes. Problem was none of those shots found the net.

But as the clock ticked down toward 10 minutes left before the break, Sydney Griffith drove the ball into the Essex end, blew past a pair of defenders, and hammered a shot over keeper Madison Bates for a 1-0 edge that carried over into the second half.

“We came out kind of flat,” Bierie said, pointing to her team’s inability to capitalize on numerous first half scoring opportunities.

“We talked at halftime about how we needed to play with more intensity,” she said. “We were able to step it up and play much better in the second half.”

Griffith supplied impetus for the second half scoring explosion as she worked her way past defenders to place a hard shot beyond Bates’ reach nine minutes into the period.

Then Buchanan took over, first by knocking in the rebound after Bates deflected a Jhonae White shot with 24 minutes left. Four minutes later, a pass from Kristen Taylor found Buchanan in front of the Essex goal for an easy score.

Late goals from Faith Tyler and Zoe Wallace, both after Bates failed to secure the ball on saves, created the final score.

New Kent managed 31 shots to Essex’s six. Talia Hohman, who took over in goal for New Kent in the second half, totaled five saves. Bates, meanwhile, stopped 12 New Kent shots.