Brian Hagberg
GIRARD, Pa. – The offense got to work early and the defense clamped down all game long as Eisenhower’s girls’ soccer team earned a 4-0 Region 3 win at Girard on Wednesday.
The Lady Knights got out to a 3-0 first-half lead and the defense allowed just four shots on goal. Keeper Tracey Jakubczak stopped all four to earn the shutout.
“It is great to see the continued teamwork out of this team,” Eisenhower coach Alex Johnson said. “They are all so driven to be better every time that we step on the field which just creates an intense and fun atmosphere to play soccer in.”
Julia Gesing opened up the scoring when she corralled a bouncing ball in the box and finished it to put the Knights up 1-0.
It wouldn’t take quite nine minutes for Emily Grosch to make her impact on the game when she touched the ball away from the keeper’s outstretched hands right to Katie Bunk. Bunk drove the ball into the net to double the Eisenhower lead to 2-0.
Shortly before halftime, Gesing played a diagonal ball through the defense to a sprinting Clara Steinberg who was able to place the ball around the goalie to give the Lady Knights a 3-0 lead at the half.
“We are continuing to find lots of opportunities coming from our Midfield which takes an immense amount of pressure off our defense,” Johnson said. “With being such a young team, the way they have molded into the style of soccer we want to play and establish themselves on the field is fun to watch.”
Girard came out firing in the second half and threatened to score. But the stout defense of Payton Frank, Kenzie Dunn, Sam Childs, Sophia Martin, and Callan Gigliotti only allowed four shots all game, all of which keeper Tracey Jakubczak handled with ease.
Steinberg closed the door on the game with four minutes left when she scored off a corner kick from Cassie Smelko.
“We will look to build off this win and fine-tune our team play before the next game,” Johnson said.
The 3-1 Knights are back in action next Tuesday in a non-region contest at Titusville.
