Wahconah Girls Blank Hoosac Valley
DALTON, Mass. – The Wahconah girls soccer team on Monday advanced to an overall record of 12-2, beating Hoosac Valley, 2-0.
Hoosac Valley didn’t give up the win easily though. In the first half Wahconah was sent to the corner a total of eight times; eight times that the Hoosac defense held strong and pushed the ball out, not allowing Wahconah to capitalize on those opportunities.
The first goal came in the last eight minutes of the first half when Wahconah’s Kenna McIlquham found Bridget Lussier open inside the box. Lussier received the ball and turned and got a shot on net that was out of Hoosac goalie Meg Richardson’s reach.
The first half was a battle back and forth between the two teams; but Wahconah outshot Hoosac and it was able to keep its composure and take a 1-0 lead into half-time.
“I thought we played 80 minutes,” Wahconah coach Pat West said. “Hoosac was strong tonight and they came at us hard, but we were stepping up and taking the ball and moving it well.”
Ten minutes into the second half freshman Adren McKnight boosted Wahconah’s momentum; with a bicycle kick-like shot into the top of the net.
Hoosac defense held strong after McKnight’s goal, not allowing anything else in. Hoosac's offense struggled to get the ball up the field; a few chances were there, but Wahconah was able to push them back out.
“I thought our defense did a really good job,” Hoosac coach Kirstin Holmgren said. “It was just a matter of our defense connecting with our mids and the mids with the forwards; sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.”
Hoosac will travel to rival Drury on Thursday afternoon, and Wahconah takes on Taconic.