Senior Capri Puglise, one of nine graduating seniorswho played their final game at Good Counsel Thursday.
Good Counsel’s Nia and Imani Dorsey scored a first half goals in Good Counsel’s dominating 3-0 win over Bishop Ireton in Olney on Thursday.
For the Cardinals, (10-4-3) the loss ends an otherwise strong performance by Coach Gino Leon’s team. The squad played a strong schedule, opening at the McDonogh Mid Atlantic Tournament and finishing two months later in a Conference semifinal with the area’s top ranked girls soccer program.
Thursday, however, it was all Falcons. Nia Dorsey staked the h0me team to an early lead in the game’s 8th minute from a sharp angle to keeper Amy Krotine’s left. A quick pass and quicker release put Good Counsel up 1-0. The Falcons controlled possession and forced Ireton to play large stretches of the opening half in their own end. Krotine kept the black-shirted visitors in the game with exceptional goalkeeping, but a direct kick awarded to senior WCAC player of the year, Imani Dorsey, spelled trouble for the Cardinals. Dorsey demonstrated why she was recognized as the league’s top performer when she sent a perfectly placed blast into the top far corner of goal beyond the reach of Krotine, and probably any keeper around. The second goal, in the 40th minute of play was a deflating development as the teams retired to intermission.
The second half started in a somewhat ragged manner, but the rapid turnovers by both squads did provide Ireton with improved field position and the Cardinals manufactured some quality shots as the final half unfolded. Sophomore Lilly Weber had Ireton’s best chance to that point when she hit a line drive from the keeper’s left that rolled just past the far post for a goal kick. But, though the fourth-seeded Cardinals had more offensive play in the second half, they couldn’t convert. That increased pressure came at a cost, and the redbirds paid the bill in the game’s 76th minute.
A pair of long lead passes put the Falcons on a two on two break and as they attacked Krotine made a diving save, but the rebound went directly to Good Counsel’s Dana Reed who knocked the loose ball into an open net and the 3-0 final.
“Good Counsel is a very good team. They came out and dictated the style of play and we seemed to accept that. It isn’t our style and you could see we had trouble. But that’s what makes them a good team, they made us play their way.” commented a disappointed head coach, Gino Leon.
Good Counsel (11-1-5) the top seed in the tournament will host second seeded Bishop O’Connell (13-2-1) Saturday evening at 6pm when they collide at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Germantown. The teams tied, 2-2 in their regular season meeting.
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