Freeport girls soccer is healthy and dangerous after PIAA tournament first-round win over Clearfield
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Freeport's Lucy Hassler (4) stops the ball in a PIAA Class 2A girls soccer first-round game against Clearfield on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, at Freeport Statium. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Freeport head coach Steve Kukic addresses the team during halftime of the PIAA Class 2A girls soccer first-round game against Clearfield on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, at Freeport Stadium. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Freeport students showing support for the girls soccer team during the PIAA Class 2A girls soccer first-round game against Clearfield on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, at Freeport Stadium. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Freeport goalie Sophia Crawford (88) passes the ball to Brinley Sullivan (1) in a PIAA Class 2A girls soccer first-round game against Clearfield on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, at Freeport Stadium. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Freeport players and coaches celebrate head coach Steve Kukic's 50th win after beating Clearfield in the PIAA Class 2A girls soccer first-round game Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, at Freeport Stadium. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Freeport's Gabriella Pavlina (13) passes while being defended by Clearfield's Breonna Taylor (21) in a PIAA Class 2A girls soccer first-round game Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, at Freeport Stadium. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Freeport's Cecelia Schlegel (24) shoots at the goal against Clearfield in a PIAA Class 2A girls soccer first-round game Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, at Freeport Stadium. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Freeport's Jocelynn John's (15) scores a goal against Clearfield in a PIAA Class 2A girls soccer first-round game Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, at Freeport Stadium. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Freeport's Brinley Sullivan (1) celebrates with teammates after scoring the first goal against Clearfield in a PIAA Class 2A girls soccer first-round game Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, at Freeport Stadium. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Freeport's Elena Jenkins (8) celebrates with Teresa Hanak (10) after scoring a goal against Clearfield in a PIAA Class 2A girls soccer first-round game Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, at Freeport Stadium. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Freeport's Natalia Urik (23) races past Clearfield's Kailynn Sankey (22) in a PIAA Class 2A girls soccer first-round game Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, at Freeport Stadium. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Freeport head coach Steve Kukic, middle, celebrates his 50th win with coaches Misty Kukic, left, and Emily Bonelli, right, after beating Clearfield in the PIAA Class 2A girls soccer first-round game Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, at Freeport Stadium. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Freeport's Julia McConville (2) chases the ball down the sideline in the PIAA Class 2A girls soccer first-round game against Clearfield on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, at Freeport Stadium. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
BUFFALO TWP — Not all district champions are cast from the same mold.
Freeport girls soccer’s PIAA Class 2A first-round playoff matchup Wednesday, Nov. 11, pitted the District 7 champion Yellowjackets against Clearfield, which won District 9.
The former’s dominance was evident from the start and the result was one-sided from every angle.
The ’Jackets tallied 25 shot attempts against none for Clearfield, and they pelted Bison goalkeeper Lydia Buck with 16 shots en route to a 7-0 victory at Freeport Stadium.
“We watched a bit of film on them but not much because we knew how we played would dictate things,” Freeport head coach Steve Kukic said. “There was no letdown (after winning the WPIAL title Thursday) and we finished early.”
Freeport (18-2-1) will face Lancaster Catholic (18-1-1), a 9-0 winner over Central Cambria, in a state quarterfinal Saturday at a time and site to be determined.
The two teams met in the same round last year, with the ’Jackets claiming a 1-0 victory.
Defender Brinley Sullivan broke the ice against Clearfield, scoring off a corner kick from teammate Cecelia Schlegel in the fourth minute of play.
Nine minutes later, Schlegel scored off a cross from Maggie Conger, whose pass was pinpoint despite working against a Bison defender to the right of the net.
Much of Freeport’s offensive output this season has come from the efforts of Conger, who has scored over 20 goals herself.
“She was an outside back last year, defensive-minded,” Kukic said. “But with injuries to our forwards this year, we thought she would be a good fit there with her speed and aggressiveness.”
Jocelynn Johns, Elena Jenkins and Schlegel all scored before halftime for a 5-0 lead.
Jenkins, who added another goal in the second half, missed the first 18 games of the season with a collarbone injury. She returned to the lineup Nov. 2 in a WPIAL semifinal against Avonworth and scored just moments into the game.
“I thought I would be out for just a couple of weeks, but the doctors kept pushing my return back,” Jenkins said. “To be contributing to what the team is doing, it feels amazing.”
Buck, who made nine saves in the game for Clearfield (13-4-3), allowed the final goal to Sophia Conger in the 73rd minute.
Injuries have kept a number of players out of Freeport’s lineup for part of, or in the case of star forward Camryn Woods, the entire season.
“It was difficult because there were practices earlier in the season when we were down five girls,” junior midfielder Tess Hanak said. “But I’ve had so much fun playing with my friends this year.”
Kukic expects a much more competitive game Saturday against Lancaster Catholic.
“Last year we scored early and held on to beat them,” he said. “They gave us a real tough battle, but we are a tough team to beat right now.”
