Bishop Ireton’s girls soccer team has been forged in the hot fires of games with the Mid-Atlantic regions top programs and the steel hard play of the squad is beginning to show up as they went 2-0-1 in a busy week of WCAC action, including a 4-1 surprise of rival Bishop O’Connell.
Holy Cross visited Ireton on an overcast Friday afternoon and escaped with a 1-1 tie that left a sour taste with much of the home team. Lilly Weber tallied for the Cardinals but they would get no more in the stalemated contest.
Tuesday brought the Knights of Bishop O’Connell to Alexandria, and the rivals from Arlington dominated the first half enroute to a 1-0 halftime advantage. Whether Coach Gino Leon gave an inspired halftime talk or the Gatorade unreleashed magical powers, the Cardinals came out and took over the game in the second half.
Grace Hersey, with an assist from Grace Sklopan, scored the first of her two goals in the half eleven minutes into the stanza, to even the game at 1-1. Grace Hamilton would alertly clear O’Connell’s last best chance to regain the lead when a shot appeared near the goal line. Sabrina Leoncio stunned the visitors with a goal from a sharp angle to the goalkeeper’s left in the game’s 57th minute and suddenly the Cardinals had wrestled the advantage away from O’Connell.
Hamilton and Hersey would strike within a minute of each other and the dazed Knights were suddenly down 4-1 and the Cardinals seemed to fly to the ball and smother every counterattack the blue-shirted visitors mounted.
Coach Gino Leon called the game, “our most complete effort this season” and lauded the efforts of his all conference goalie, Amy Krotine, as well as freshman Sklopan, Laura Mueller, and Weber.
The Friday senior day contest with Bishop McNamara saw a much improved Mustang squad visit the Cardinals at Fannon Field.
Once again, Grace Hersey scored a pair of goals while Lilly Weber added one. Grace Sklopan contributed a pair of assists for the Cardinals as they raced away to a 3-0 lead. The Mustangs would strike late in the contest, but it would be too little, too late for the Forestville visitors.
The Cardinals host Good Counsel on Tuesday and visit the always tough St Johns Cadets on Friday before completing the WCAC regular season at PVI next Tuesday. A sweep, by no means an easy feat, would give the Cardinals a top seed in the upcoming championship tournament.