Youth, experience lead Gorman girls past Spring Valley
With five seniors and six freshmen and sophomores, Bishop Gorman’s girls soccer squad relies on a mix of youth and experience.
The Gaels put that combination on display in a critical Southwest League match Tuesday.
Junior Haley Wingender scored twice and freshman Charlotte Brascia added a goal and an assist to lead Gorman past visiting Spring Valley, 4-2.
“Spring Valley is our competition for league play, and we expected nothing else from them,” Gorman coach Lora Feely said. “With Markie (Henderson) up top, she’s feisty and a solid player. It’s a good test on our defense.”
Henderson had the best chance early, darting past Gorman goalkeeper Kaylie Vitale in the 13th minute for an open look before defender Rachel Weber knocked her shot away from the target.
The Gaels (3-3-1, 3-0 Southwest) responded a minute later when Brascia picked off a ball from the Grizzlies’ defense and hammered a goal to the far post for a 1-0 lead.
Brascia, filling the void left by sister Meghan Brascia’s red-card suspension, later made a cross from the right corner that Wingender redirected into the goal midway through the first half.
“I think it helps when your sister is hammering you the whole time,” Feely said of Charlotte Brascia’s contribution. “It’s really cool to see the two sisters like that; they support each other and work hard. But if one’s off, the other one will tell them about it. I think with Meghan not playing today, Charlotte knew she had to step up.”
Despite being outshot 8-2 in the first half, Spring Valley (3-3, 2-1) trailed only 2-1 at halftime thanks to the first of Henderson’s two goals.
The sophomore forward blitzed down the right sideline after a goal kick by Megan Delaney, then fired a long shot to the far post that curved inside the crossbar.
Henderson tied the match 2-2 in the 55th minute, finding space on the left side and bending a shot into the lower left corner of the goal.
Wingender responded two minutes later. She took the ball around the top of the box, then dribbled around four defenders before squeezing a shot into a minuscule gap between the right post and a diving Delaney.
Wingender came off with a slight ankle injury immediately after the goal. But Kylie Kircher’s shot that glanced off a Spring Valley defender and into the net in the 59th minute put the game away.
Gorman took 12 second-half shots, including five on goal, and Vitale had to make only one save on a late free kick.
The win puts an exclamation point on a strong start for the Gaels, who have outscored league opponents 16-3.
