By the Middletown Journal

MONROE — The Monroe High girls’ soccer team isn’t quite ready to end their season. And with the roll they are on it might be some time before it comes to a stop.

The Hornets won 3-0 over visiting Dayton Oakwood in Thursday night’s rainy Division II sectional tournament matchup, their second consecutive clean sheet in as many tourney games.

Monroe defeated Eaton 6-0 on Monday in the first round.

“I think we’re clicking right now,” said Hornet coach Jennifer Burnside. “Especially the players coming in (off the bench). We have gotten some quality minutes out of them.”

While Burnside credited Thursday’s victory to the entire team, it was the squad’s captains that stepped up.

Just 3:30 into the contest, two of the team’s tri-captains connected when Natalie Creekbaum played a perfect through ball to Alex Hesson.

Hesson got on the end of it and deposited the shot past helpless Oakwood goalkeeper, Lauren Luther.

Hesson also scored with 4:00 remaining in the half to push the Hornets to 3-0 going into the break.

Creekbaum scored with 6:30 to play in the half for the Hornet’s other goal.

Ashlee Foster assisted both.

“That was huge to come out and shoot right away on target,” Burnside said of the early strike.

Despite dominating possession and having a majority of the first half chances, the Jills couldn’t find the net themselves.

Mostly because of the stellar defensive play from sweeper Bethany Davidson, another team captain.

Oakwood’s best chance came just past the 20:00 mark when Brooke Klopsch unleashed from nearly 30 yards out. The ball struck the post but she’d been whistled offside anyway.

“I thought we did a very nice job of controlling the half,” said Oakwood coach Dawn Gaydosh. “We pretty much dominated the first half. But (Monroe) has excellent shooters and they buried us early.”

Gaydosh admitted her side got down a little bit with the early goal and especially with a 3-0 mountain to climb in the second.

“We probably got a little deflated. If we could have come out and got an early goal in the second half we could have been OK. But as time is winding down you start looking at that 3-0.”

Davidson stayed back more than she did in Monday’s match when she notched a pair of assists.

Burnside said that was the player’s own decision.

“She played a pretty reserved game really,” said Burnside. “She usually goes on a lot more runs for us but tonight she took it upon herself to hang back. She knew Oakwood (9-8-1) has two or three girls that can really create shots. She’s a ‘we’ player, not a ‘me’ player.”

The result was a game that became chippy and bogged down in the middle of the second half. But with a three goal lead it was exactly what the Hornets needed.

What few chances Hornet ‘keeper Jessica Swift faced over the final 40 minutes were easily corralled.

“We played extremely well and the girls played patient. They don’t want their season to end yet,” Burnside said.

Monroe (14-2-2) now faces second-seeded Kettering Alter, who defeated Franklin 7-0 Thursday.

View Article at MJ