Wagner stellar between the posts
ADAMS TWP — Shot after shot came Maddie Wagner's way in the first 15 minutes of the match.
She gathered in a few, swatted away another and even pinned one shot against the post with her gloved hand.
The senior goalkeeper on the Freeport girls soccer team had little time to take a breath in her first playoff game during her first season on the soccer pitch.
After the initial North Catholic barrage, things quieted for Wagner and the Yellowjackets' defense.
A goal by Sidney Shemanksi with a little more than five minutes remaining in the first half gave Freeport a chance to exhale and two more scores less than two minutes apart in the second half secured some much-needed relief and a 3-0 win in the first round of the WPIAL 2A playoffs Saturday afternoon at the Mars Athletic Complex.
“Maddie Wagner really kept us in the game. She made some great saves,” said Freeport coach Brittni Grenninger. “She managed to keep us in the game long enough for us to gain some traction and get something going. For a first-time goalie, a first-time soccer player, she came up huge for us today.”
The wind was a factor throughout the match, pushing crosses and punts and even a few shots unpredictably awry.
But against the stiff wind, Shemanski was able to find the net toward the end of the first half to send the Yellowjackets into the half up 1-0.
It was no small feat to score against the gale.
“We came out a little iffy,” Shemanski said. “We got the wind going toward us in the first half, so that was definitely a factor. We just tried running and we couldn't even run. We were running so hard, but it felt like we weren't going anywhere.”
Shemanski said some nerves also played a part in the slow start.
“Once we got that first goal, we felt like we had the confidence and were able to keep the pressure up,” Shemanski said.
For Wagner, it was a coronation of sorts for her in goal.
She stopped eight shots in the match — not bad for a keeper who didn't even begin the season as the starter in net.
“We have a freshman goalie (Madelyn Zarichnak) who suffered a concussion and is out through November,” Grenninger said. “I can't say enough about what (Wagner) did for us today. Hands down this is the best performance she's had. It took a lot of pressure off our defense and preserved the shutout.”
With Wagner nailing down the back end of the defense, Grenninger made an adjustment to the offense, moving Shemanski from midfield to forward.
The move changed the flow of the match dramatically.
Carli Giori scored with 29 minutes remaining in the match for a 2-0 Freeport cushion and then Shemanski sealed the win another quick score.
Shemanski's speed was an issue for North Catholic.
“Sidney is one of the best athletes I've ever coached and it's nice to see her grow over the years,” Grenninger said. “I think now she has so much composure. She has the speed and the skill to get away and now she has the composure to finish at will.”
Freeport (12-6-2) will play South Park (16-2) Wednesday at a site and time to be determined.
North Catholic (9-7-1) was playing without three starters: Lizzy Goetz, Olivia Bonvenuto and Tori Michalski.
“What I'm so proud of this team for is they never once got their heads out of the game even with those starters out,” said North Catholic coach Christyn Bobak. “People stepped up to the plate and filled in those spots. Every one of these girls have each other's backs.
“Even with the injuries, I never doubted our girls' ability to do it. They showed so much heart and I'm proud of them.”
