Red Devils Find Their Offense, Score 12 Vs. Edison
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ST. CLAIRSVILLE -- Losing nearly 80 goals from a season ago, St. Clairsville head girls soccer coach Wes Stoner wasn't sure who was going to step up this season. Through two games (a loss to Dover and a tie with John Glenn) no one had done so. However, Thursday night was a different story.
Eight Red Devils found the back of the net in a 12-0 rout of visiting Edison on the artificial pitch inside Red Devil Stadium. Senior Megan Malin led the way with three goals and four assists, while junior Delaney Florence added a hat trick and two helpers. Seniors Zoey Russell, Emaly Elerick, Hayleigh Harr and Lacy Tuttle each scored once, as did junior Savannah Grim and freshman Olivia McKeever. Junior Gracie Gardner collected two assists.
"We played really well today," Stoner allowed. "We're still trying to find ways to score goals, but we put up a lot tonight. That was a good sign.
"We need everyone to contribute," Stoner said as he's trying to replace 72 goals from last season due to graduation losses and other factors. "Megan has been doing what she did tonight for three years. She is the heart and soul of the middle of our team. Delaney moved up to the front row this year in an attempt to get more scoring, and she got a couple tonight."
St. Clairsville (1-1-1) scored twice on its first four shots as Florence pounded home her own rebound early in the second minute of play. Malin notched the assist.
Late in the fifth minute, Malin sent a laser along the turf, from low in the box that found the back of the net for a 2-0 reading.
Edison changed goalkeepers shortly after as Adali Reynolds took over for Kaydence Habbit who had recorded six saves. Reynolds was tested right away but stood tall before smothering a loose ball in the crease.
"We're a pretty young team and we had four girls get injured before today, so that kind of changed our positioning and we had girls playing positions for the first time," first-year Edison head coach Gregory Hofmeister said.
"It was a learn-on-the-field experience but I commend my girls for their efforts.
"St. Clairsville just had a little bit more experience than we did," Hofmeister continued. "That made it more difficult than it was."
Russell displayed good footwork in dancing around a pair of defenders to the right of Reynolds before blistering a shot into the far corner as the margin increased to 3-0 in the 26th minute.
Florence added a breakaway goal, off a nifty feed from Malin, and Malin found the top shelf on a lob shot from the top of the box to make it 5-0 at the half.
McKeever ignited a three-goal outburst early in the second half with her first career goal. Florence made it 7-0 and Malin 8-0 as Stoner emptied his bench.
Elerick, Grim, Harr and Tuttle capped the scorefest.
The Wildcats (0-2) actually had the first shot of the game when Amelia Collopy rolled a ball on net that goaltender Riliegh Wood scooped up early in the second minute. That would be her only save as she was untested for the remainder of the half. The visitors wouldn't get another shot at the net until late in the 57th minute when Collopy fired just wide on a breakaway.
Freshman Kailin Hughes played the second half and preserved the shutout with several outstanding saves, including twice when she came out of the net to challenge the ball.
"She's done really well. We've had two JV games so far and she's done well in both of those," Stoner praised.
The Red Devils sent 42 shots towards the net, with 30 of them on target as Reynolds tallied 20 and Habbit had 10. She later injured an ankle and left the stadium on crutches.
St. Clairsville remains at home on Saturday as John Marshall visits for a noon start. Edison treks to Minerva on Tuesday.