Lady Scots defeat Brownsville 4-0
Christine Pocratsky
Brownsville’s Olivia Kovscek kicks the ball downfield as Southmoreland’s Vayda Farino attempts to block her kick during Thursday evening’s game at Southmoreland High School.
Christine Pocratsky
Southmoreland’s Allie Shreffler (25) battles with Brownsville’s Emma Kovseck for the ball during Thursday’s game at Southmoreland High School.
Southmoreland's Emily Donavon takes a shot at the goal, but Brownsville goalie Emmory Tardivo makes the save during Thursday evening's game at Southmoreland High School.
Brownsville's Katawna Fazenbaker controls the ball as Southmoreland's Olivia Porter defends during Thursday's match at Southmoreland. Porter scored Southmoreland's first goal in the first half in the Lady Scots' 4-0 non-section win over the Lady Falcons.
ALVERTON — Southmoreland broke open a close game with three second half goals for a 4-0 non-section girls soccer win over Brownsville on Thursday.
Vayda Farino and Olivia Porter each scored twice for the Lady Scotties, who were coming off a 1-0 overtime loss at Greensburg Salem the previous night.
The game took place on Brownsville goal keeper Emmory Tardivo’s birthday. While the senior may not have gotten the victory she would have wanted to celebrate, she played well in stopping 18 shots, including one off her face on a hard shot by Farino.
“She has played well for the most part,” said Brownsville coach Shane Gottschalk afterwards. “We still have a lot of work for a first year program.”
Brownsville (1-7, 1-9-1) played with 11 healthy players, and were down one player several times when Anastacia Sontheimer and Stephanie Buchheit were briefly shaken up at different points of the first half and Darcy Vance missed the entire second half.
“With homecoming (at Brownsville), some of our kids had other priorities tonight,” said Gottschalk, who also said senior standout Jenna Shumar has been injured for much of the season.
For Southmoreland (3-4, 5-5) Porter scored early at 3:58 after taking a long pass from Farino. From that point on, Tardivo stopped eight shots the remainder of the half, including quality shots by Porter and Julia Cummins.
Payton Jacobs had the Lady Falcons’ first shot on SHS goalkeeper Emily Burkhart with 18:19 left in the half. Jacobs then hit the left post nine minutes later on a chance that could have provided a halftime deadlock.
With Vance sidelined, Farino scored 2:32 into the second half before Southmoreland coach Bob King recognized the shortage and played the rest of the half one player short as well.
Porter took a crossing pass from Farino and scored at 8:19 and Farino scored from a near-impossible angle high from the right side 21:52 into the half for the final margin.
“That cross pass from Vayda to Liv was nice,” King said. “It was very nice to be home again after we seemed to have the better of the play against Greensburg Salem and they scored with three minutes left (in overtime).” King praised Tardivo’s effort, saying, “She was pretty solid.”
Burkhart’s shutout came with seven saves and solid defensive help from senior standout Brittney Leonard, who helped stop several late charges by Jacobs in the second half.
“We’ve had some tough battles,” Gottschalk said. “We have to fund a way to keep our heads up.”