While much of the Riverhounds Development Academy had the weekend off, the 2006 Girls were defending their home turf.
The 06 Girls took four points from two matches in ECNL play, getting a 4-1 win over Tennessee SC and battling back for a 1-1 draw with another Tennessee club, FC Alliance.
The Saturday victory over Tennessee SC was sparked by a three-goal blitz in the opening seven minutes of the second half after the Hounds took a 1-0 lead to the break. Fiona Mahan converted a penalty, Lola Abraham and Sophia De Jesus scored in the second half for the Hounds after Mahan netted the first half goal, and only a late handling call that led to a penalty kick for Tennessee ruined the RDA shutout bid.
In the Sunday draw, the Hounds were the ones who found themselves behind after an early second-half goal, but Mahan was set up for her third goal of the weekend by Abraham, and neither team could find a second to break the tie.
The 07 Girls also faced the same two sides but took a pair of tough losses, losing 3-2 on a stoppage time goal against Tennessee SC and getting a little outmuscled by a physical FC Alliance squad. Simone Sharpless and Sierra Dupre scored in the second half after the RDA fell behind 2-0 against Tennessee, and both came close in the second match, including a shot off the crossbar by Sharpless.
Also in action were the 07 East Boys, who headed to Batavia, N.Y., for a pair of Great Lakes Alliance matches against tough oppositions. In both matches, the RDA East side came out strong in the first half but eventually wore down against well-organized teams, losing 4-1 to Rochester Futbol and 6-2 to GPS Buffalo.
Don’t forget to keep up with all the RDA action throughout the fall on the Live Results page.
Sunday, Oct. 20
In ECNL matches at Montour Junction in Coraopolis:
• The weekend’s best match was played by the 06 Girls, who came away with a deserved 1-1 draw against visiting FC Alliance (Tenn.). Neither team scored in the first half, and the visitors took a 1-0 lead about 10 minutes into the second half. The Hounds took control after falling behind, only to have chance after chance turned away by the Alliance goalkeeper. Finally, Fiona Mahan scored off an assist from Lola Abraham to level the score, and neither side was able to snag a second goal with both teams playing on tired legs.
• The 07 Girls fell to a physical Alliance team, 2-0. The Hounds produced their share of chances, including a free kick off the bar by Simone Sharpless and a great solo opportunity pushed just wide by Sierra Dupre, but in the end, the Tennesseeans were able to maintain their clean sheet.
In Great Lakes Alliance play in Batavia, N.Y.:
• The 07 East Boys got off to another good start on the road, but eventually a very organized GPS Buffalo team began to break them down, handing the RDA side a 6-2 defeat.
Saturday, Oct. 19
In ECNL matches at Montour Junction in Coraopolis:
• The 06 Girls picked up their second ECNL win of the season in convincing fashion, as they topped Tennessee SC, 4-1. Fiona Mahan had the Hounds ahead 1-0 at the break, and the RDA side hit their guests with an early second-half flurry of three goals in seven minutes. Mahan converted a penalty drawn by Lola Abraham for her second goal, Abraham netted a goal of her own, and Sophia De Jesus finished the Hounds scoring. A late penalty conceded on a handling call ruined the shutout bid, but the 06 girls still improved to 2-2-0 in the Ohio Valley Conference.
• “Sickening” was how the coaches described the 07 Girls match, after the team rallied from two goals down, only to see Tennessee SC steal a 3-2 victory with a winning goal during three minutes of stoppage time. Trailing 2-0, things could have gotten out of hand, but the Hounds battled to stay in it before taking control of play in the second half. Simone Sharpless and Sierra Dupre had the goals, but the result escaped the 07s, who drop to 1-2-1.
In Great Lakes Alliance play in Batavia, N.Y.:
• The 07 East Boys came out to play and weren’t overmatched against a good Rochester Futbol side. Unfortunately, the Hounds couldn’t quite maintain their level after the break, and Rochester pulled away in the second half for a 4-1 victory after leading just 2-1 at halftime.
