By HUNTER O. LYLE
BRADFORD, PA – The road back to the top tends to be a slow one, with one foot after being placed after another in a short-sighted approach to the task ahead.
For the Bradford girl’s soccer team, a program recently removed from their perennial perch atop the District 9 Class 3A throne, their spark of ascension started in familiar territory, at home and with a 3-1 victory over Elk County Catholic.
Up until recently, the D9 title has seemingly always found a home at Parkway Field, brought home and for six consecutive seasons by the prolific Lady Owls program and always at the expense of their 3A rivals, DuBois. However, as of late, the Lady Beavers have struck back, exacting revenge in the form of back-to-back championships.
“(Losing the last two years) fuels us. We know how good DuBois is and where we are,” said Warnick. “DuBois is that benchmark for us. They’re one of the favorites for states this year, so that’s a goal we have to set.”
In the first glimpse of Lady Owl action, the tip of the spear still rested with Alyssa Mangold, Bradford’s offensive powerhouse who led the team in scoring and assists a season ago. However, the pieces alongside her, many of which were freshmen a year prior, showed signs of development early on. Feeding Bradford’s star goal-getter, sophomores Karissa Chamberlain and Cami Sheeley streaked down the pitch in tandem, putting their share of the weight on the gas pedal as they pestered ECC.
“They came in as freshmen and immediately had to give us a lot of time on varsity. They’ve both made big bounds,” said Warnick. “Cami has really taken over and wants that bigger role. Karissa has settled in in one of our key areas. They seem like they’ve really settled in and are helping to lead.”
The Lady Owls’ gameplan, which centered on speed, found its groove out of the gates. From the initial touch, Bradford swiftly set up shop in the Lady Crusaders’ share of the field, finding quick and frequent access into the box. Although they were unable to see production as easily, the offense continuously coming just shy of getting a shot off, they maintained possession, withholding ECC from a significant drive for the first 15 minutes of play.
As the pressure continued to mount, bearing down on the stamina of both ECC and Bradford alike, the Lady Owls finally found their break. Just over the seven-minute mark, Alyssa Mangold sent a corner kick directly in front of the net and after a ricochet or two off a defender, the ball ended up in the back of the net by product of an own-goal. Finding some new life in the next handful of minutes, Bradford resumed their control and just over five minutes later, Mangold repeated the feat in earnest, putting the Lady Owls up 2-0 with a rocket from 20-yards away.
Not to leave the pitch empty-handed, the Lady Crusaders finally punched in their response with just 9.7 seconds left. Right before the break, Lucy Dornisch corralled a corner kick deflection, settled it and sent a shot to the left of Bradford’s goaltender, narrowing the deficit to just one.
With the first 40 minutes of the season under their belt, Bradford returned to the field with their wrinkles mostly ironed out. Expanding on what they managed in the first half, they immediately resumed their relentless attack, stripping ECC’s initial touch and barging feet first towards the net.
Weaving down the sidelines with crisp touch passes and well-placed long balls, the Lady Owls front line seemed to cut through the defense at will. Playing in her first varsity game, Austyn Douglass, a freshman, kept in stride with Mangold and Co., setting up a barrage of shots as she out-maneuvered defenders.
After a back-and-forth stalemate, Douglass eventually saw her name make it into the scorebooks. In the 63rd minute, she carried a long pass down field, streaking down the left side of the pitch before shaking a Lady Crusader and delivering a perfect cross to Sheeley. With the goaltender out of position, Sheeley fired away, punching in the Lady Owls’ third goal to retake a two-score advantage.
“(Douglass) is one of those key freshmen. She’s in a key area, playing the nine, and has to play with Mangold,” said Warnick, whose team boasts __ freshmen. “Some (freshmen) aren’t used to what we expect and we weren’t really sure what we could get out of her, but (Douglass) showed up today and just played. We’re really proud of her.”
Although the Lady Crusaders were emboldened by the quickly draining clock, finding ways to break out downfield, their efforts ultimately fell short. Keeping their cushion secure, Bradford’s debut came with a win.
Despite leaving the field with high spirits, Warnick’s mind quickly went back to the drawing board. Playing now in the newly-formed District 9 League, he understands the Lady Crusaders are just the beginning of a strong road of competition ahead.
“This game was a good one to see where we’re at right now and what we can work on,” said Warnick. “We have to work on a lot of little things. Little things and confidence. I think confidence is our biggest thing. At some times, the girls were hesitant and we need to make sure that they’re confident enough to make that run and go get the ball.”
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