Northview Titans Junior Varsity Girls Game Summaries
Northview v Norcross - 6-0
March 6th
The JV Lady Titans hosted the Blue Devils of Norcross in their 2006 home opener on a cool Monday evening, and delivered a truly dominating performance en route to a 6-0 victory. Goals came courtesy of Stephanie Andino’s hat trick, while Rae Mueller contributed two goals and Hillary Millard added another. The defense, led by goalkeepers Gracie Kessenich and Olivia Alonso, and sweeper Kate Dixon, turned in another strong showing for their second straight shutout.
Northview got on the board quickly. Just over a minute into the contest Millard received a beautiful lead out pass from Andino and blasted the ball by the Norcross keeper for the early score. For much of the remainder of the half, the Lady Titans peppered the opposing goalie and much like last week, realized little success. Shots went wide left, wide right and over the top – everywhere but in the goal. On the defensive side of the field, the Blue Devils squandered two scoring opportunities -- Kessenich made a nice stop on a free kick at 18:10, while another free kick from just outside the 18 was sent wide of the goal.
As the half wound down, it looked as if the Lady Titans would go into the break with a precarious 1-0 lead. But with 1:20 remaining, Millard sent a header out to Mueller setting up a one on one with the goalie – and this time Mueller, choosing the finesse game, tapped the ball lightly past the Norcross keeper for the score. The half ended with the Lady Titans holding a more comfortable 2-0 lead.
As the second half got under way, it was apparent that the Northview girls were just getting started, striking even quicker than they did to begin the game. A mere 15 seconds into the period, Mueller fired a shot from just inside the 18 to notch her second goal of the game. The impact on the Blue Devils was immediate as they seemed to lose their fight, and began to wilt under the pressure of the Lady Titans’ offensive attack. Then, barely four minutes later, Lisa Johnson broke free down the right sideline and crossed the ball to Andino in the box, who volleyed the pass into the net for the score -- and a commanding 4-0 lead.
The only drama remaining centered on whether the Northview defense would stay focused and preserve the shut out, and how many more goals could the offense score against the shell-shocked Blue Devils. The first question was answered decisively as the Lady Titans took control of the midfield thanks to some nifty play by Kellie Aarons and Anna Kornmayer, denying Norcross time and time again. Coupled with continued aggressive defensive play, including a questionable yellow card on Haley Nelson, the shut out was ensured. In fact, second half Northview keeper Olivia Alonso never touched the ball!
Meanwhile, the offensive barrage continued as the Northview forwards and midfielders took shot after shot. At 18:25, Andino scored her second goal of the evening when she found herself open after a great individual effort, and sent the ball beyond the reach of the out stretched hands of the Norcross goalie. She completed her hat trick with 4:10 left in the game by fielding a corner kick and finishing it in the back of the net. Final score: Northview JV Lady Titans 6. Norcross Blue Devils 0.
