Gremlins on Cloud 9
CLARION — The Karns City girls soccer team dominated the first half of play, but had nothing to show for it.
That wasn't the case by the end of the game.
Karns City's quick-strike offense netted two second-half goals to give the program its ninth straight District 9 Class AA title with a 2-0 win over Elk County Catholic Thursday night at Clarion University's Memorial Stadium.
Sophomore midfielder Samantha Ryan took a crossing pass and scored the game's first goal with 33:10 left.
Junior forward Michelle Sweeney, the Gremlins' leading scorer, tallied her 31st goal of the year a little more than two minutes later.
The Crusaders, who could not match Karns City's speed, did not threaten to cut into the Gremlins' lead until fewer than 10 minutes were left.
"For eight years this title has belonged to us, and we wanted to keep that going," said first-year Karns City coach Lisa Castiglione.
The loss snaps the Crusaders' 20-game unbeaten streak. After dropping their season opener to Bradford, the Crusaders (19-2-1) had won every game, except for a tie with Ridgway on Oct. 7. They entered the playoffs as the district's No. 1 seed.
The Gremlins' offense controlled the first half, forcing ECC goalkeeper Emily Radkowski to make seven saves in the first 40 minutes. It could have been more had the Gremlins taken advantage of their many opportunities.
"We did great keeping possession in the first half, but we just couldn't pull the trigger," Castiglione said.
It appeared as though Karns City had taken a 1-0 lead when Allyson Kepple's shot caromed off a defender and past Radkowski with 29:59 remaining in the first half. But officials ruled that the Gremlins were offside.
"We were fortunate to have the game still scoreless at halftime," said Crusaders coach Don Fabiano. "Much of the half was played in our zone."Ryan's goal was the result of a crossing pass from the left side of the field.
Radkowski sprinted forward and was in position to cut the ball off before Ryan could make a play, but it skipped past the goalkeeper and Ryan was waiting.
"I don't remember much about it, except that the ball ended up in the back of the net," said Ryan, a first-year starter who saw limited action on last season's district title team.
Following Sweeney's goal, which came from 15 yards out and was placed just inside the left post, the Gremlins' defense took center stage.
After a first half that saw KC goalkeeper Kiersten Foreback make only two saves, Elk County Catholic attempted to turn the tables on the Gremlins in the second half.
"We made some lineup adjustments to try and get more of an offensive push," said Fabiano.
But every sliver of daylight that ECC's forwards and midfielders found was quickly extinguished by KC's back line.
Elk County Catholic's Elena Reed had one of her team's few corner kicks with 9:50 left in the game, but the Gremlins cleared the ball.
With 5:26 left, it was Reed again. This time, she had managed to get behind KC's defenders only to have her shot — from seven yards in front of the goal — smack off of Foreback, who ended the night with four saves.
The Gremlins (19-3-1) begin their quest for a PIAA title on Tuesday against an opponent and at a site and time to be determined.
