Big Red, St. Clairsville tie on late corner kick | News, Sports, Jobs

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — St. Clairsville has been practically unstoppable within the early going of the 2021 women’ soccer season. The Purple Devils had received their first 5 contests with out a lot resistance. Nonetheless, that every one modified Wednesday night time at cloud-covered Purple Satan Stadium.

Steubenville, which dominated the second half, scored off a well-executed nook kick within the ultimate minute of play to stun the Purple Devils and earn a 1-1 draw on the synthetic pitch.

“I really feel within the first half we had been type of unfortunate and we had been of their heads somewhat bit,” Steubenville head coach Annie Cutri mentioned. “At halftime we talked about stepping to balls and ensuring to maneuver off the ball. We did an excellent job of that Monday, however we didn’t within the first half tonight. Within the second half we did a significantly better job. That’s how we play Large Purple soccer.”

Large Purple (2-2-1) hit the put up as soon as in every half, with the preliminary blast coming off a Chloe Petrelle within the twenty first minute. In addition they rang one off of the highest left nook when Hailey Neely simply missed a aim.

The duo greater than atoned for his or her near-misses after they mixed on the nook kick with time winding down in regulation play.

After the ball trickled over the St. Clairsville finish line with 30 seconds left on a operating clock, Neely grabbed the ball and shortly positioned it for a nook kick. Not losing any time, she despatched the ball in direction of the entrance of the cage the place Petrelle deflected it into the again of the web, a lot to the delight of her teammates who swarmed her in celebration and to the dismay of the Purple Devils who might marvel what if?

“These two women, together with Libby Saccoccia, have been taking part in since they had been freshmen,” Cutri mentioned. “They’re our leaders.”

St. Clairsville took a 1-0 lead within the thirty second minute as Alyssa Bodkin obtained behind the protection and Emily Thompson discovered her with a nifty feed. Bodkin’s right-footed laser went by the fingers of Steubenville goalkeeper Elexis Martin and into the web. The online-finder got here on the Purple Devils’ seventh-and-final shot as they didn’t report one within the second half.

“The second half was not good. We simply didn’t present up for the second half,” a disillusioned St. Clairsville head coach Wes Stoner allowed. “I’m unsure why, both. We did the identical factor in opposition to them up there final 12 months and so they beat us 3-1. I don’t know. It simply wasn’t there within the second half for no matter motive.

“I don’t know whether or not it was nerves or what, however I simply instructed them that we have to discover ways to win shut video games like that,” he continued. “I instructed them this was an excellent lesson for the remainder of the season. They’ll keep in mind this one. They’ll keep in mind easy methods to win shut video games.”

Martin stopped six of the seven photographs she confronted whereas St. Clairsville’s Rileigh Wooden made seven saves on 11 photographs.

St. Clairsville hosts Indian Creek Saturday.