HS SOCCER: Lady Devils notch first victory in nailbiter atop Lawton’s Hill
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL - Shenandoah Valley Girls' Soccer players celebrate their go-ahead goal during Monday's game against Nativity BVM.
POTTSVILLE – “Five… Four… Three…. Two… One…. We Won… We Won!!”
It took a moment more to sink in for Shenandoah Valley Freshman Midfielder Riley Porter that her squad had just earned the first girls’ soccer win in school history, and in dramatic fashion.
“It’s a long time coming,” Head Coach Joe Bradley told the Sentinel. “They deserved it. They’ve needed it.”
The Lady Devils faced Nativity BVM’s Golden Girls atop Lawton’s Hill in Pottsville Monday afternoon and found themselves behind by a goal by halftime.
Injuries plagued the Golden Girl squad, which found themselves short-handed in the second half.
Shenandoah Valley knotted the game up in the second half at 1-apiece within about 28 minutes left in the game.
The Lady Devils would score a go-ahead goal about 10 minutes later.
Nativity, however, wasn’t down-and-out. On a penalty kick, the Golden Girls tied the game up at 2-apiece with 9:38 left to play.
The final strike would come with 4:19 remaining, as Shenandoah scored the final go-ahead goal to avoid overtime and take the 3-2 victory.
Vanessa Olayo scored twice and Leslie Paniagua scored once for the Lady Devils.
The Lady Devils will play at home at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Shenandoah for the first time Tuesday at 5pm, hosting Jim Thorpe.
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