Battle of unbeatens
SLIPPERY ROCK — Maddie Zarichnak has never attended a goalkeeper camp and has little experience playing the position.
The Freeport sophomore does have a good sense of her surroundings.
And she sensed her soccer teammates needed her Saturday in a battle of unbeaten teams at Slippery Rock.
“I could tell we were tired,” Zarichnak said. “I kept talking to my teammates, trying to tell them what was coming where.”
And Slippery Rock brought a lot. The Rockets put 12 shots on net and had nine corner kicks, but Freeport (5-0) held on for a 3-2 victory.
By comparison, the Yellowjackets had five shots on net and three corner kicks.
“This was our third game in four days,” Freeport coach Brittni Grenninger said. “We didn't have our legs. The first half was the worst we've played this year.
“But we played tired and found a way to win. I'm very encouraged by that. Slippery Rock has a very good team.”
The Rockets (4-1) entered the game having allowed but one goal all season. But the Yellowjackets got on the board first when freshman Katie Borromed hooked a shot from a sharp angle — from the left of the net — just inside the upper post on the right side in the 21st minute.
Just five minutes later, Slippery Rock got even. Emily Raine took a pass from Kayla Daugherty, got behind the defense and rolled a shot past Zarichnak.
Freeport seemingly took control of the game by scoring twice less than 10 minutes into the second half. Freshman forward Aleah Parison tallied her sixth goal of the year on an assist from Sidney Shemanski at 34:16. Emma Check scored her sixth goal by drilling a high shot into the net from 25 yards out at 31:33.
Shemanski — who had two assists on the day — slammed a shot off the top of the crossbar with just under 20 minutes to play as Freeport was denied a three-goal lead.
It was all Slippery Rock from there.
“I liked the way we played today,” Rocket coach Sarah Vermilya said. “We just didn't finish our opportunities.
“I'll take a competitive game like this three days a week as opposed to blowout wins in our region. I hope Freeport plays us again next year. We need games like this.”
The Rockets pulled within a goal when Amanda Lewis was sent in alone on a pass from Hannah Burtner and scored with 16:19 remaining.
Moments earlier, Zarichnak made a lunging save on a sharp, hooking shot by Anna Kadlubek. Daugherty took a shot early in the second half that hit off the middle of the crossbar and deflected back into the field of play.
“There was a lot of activity around or net,” Grenninger admitted. “We needed a goalie this year and Maddie has great hands. She had been a field player, but volunteered to go in goal.
“She won us this game today. For the lack of background and training for that position, she's been amazing in goal for us.”
Zarichnak made a save on Burtner from point-blank range after a Freeport defender slipped with 6:18 to play. Daugherty took a shot that deflected off a defender and rolled inches wide of the net with 35 seconds left.
“We couldn't get one to go in at the end,” Vermilya said. “But the effort was there. We were tenacious.
“We have to work on getting more effective with our corner kicks, but I'm not disappointed in how we played today at all.”
Freeport's busy schedule continues with a game at East Allegheny Monday. Slippery Rock hosts Greenville Tuesday.
