Let’s just say that there was a third factor in the game — no not that traditional one — but rather an elemental one that put Spotswood on its heels for the first half, and then returned the favor on Monticello. At its lightest, it was a steady northerly wind, but for the most part it was just all out blustery and all in the one direction. And all things being equal, the Mustangs and Trail Blazers simply traded goals between halves with nothing doing in overtime to force a 1-1 tie after two five minute overtimes.
“We let in the first goal of our season and there was a little bit of nature involved,” said Monticello coach Thomas Warren. “What are you going to do? A 1-1 tie with the Conference 29 runner up, that’s a good setup for the season for us.”
With the wind at their backs in the first half, the Mustangs dominated possession and got their lone goal of the game when Samantha Payne took a fast break to the left edge of the field, rounded the corner and squared up a shot to the far right side 25 minutes into the contest.
“She made a great move in space and was calm putting the ball into the corner,” Warren said. “It was a good turn and was set up by her initial tap on the ball and then turn to her left.”
While the Mustangs poured in seven shots on goal, they went into the break up just 1-0. Monticello came up just inches away from a second goal on a broken play after corner kick when Annie Liguish got the ball almost at the goalline but Spotswood’s defense found a way to clutter upfront and end the threat with the ball just inches away from going into the net.
In the second, Monticello got its turn to cue the Bob Seger and play against the wind and Spotswood suddenly turned into a fast break team. But with Hannah Keith leading the way at mid-field and goalkeeper Alex Blaine coming up to make stops, Spotswood wasn’t able to capitalize. That was until Trail Blazer Blair McGloon got a free kick 35-yards from the goal. The senior captain uncorked a deep ball straight up in the air into the healthy breeze and a helpless Monticello defense was unable to make a play on a shot that just squeaked underneath the cross bar and into the net. With 22 minutes to play, the game was tied.
“I mean the wind was a real factor,” Warren said. “She kicked that ball from the 35 or 40 yard line (from the football field markings) and it went straight up, it was over our defense, over our goalie. There were several plays we had to defend with the same thing, a pass or a through ball with the wind picking it up all the way to the end line.”
Late in the second Liguish nearly put her team ahead but she and Spotswood goalie Natalie Van Russ got entangled on a 50-50 ball at the top of the keeper’s box and with no call for interference as Van Russ made a stop in what could only be called a hug around the Monticello senior, the Mustangs best threat of the period was quelled.
“When we’re moving through progression we do well, we’ve got a good chain of attack,” Warren said. “It’s just getting that final look at the goal and making sure we get it on goal. That’s what we’ll keep working on.”
In the 10 minute overtime (split into two 5-minute halves with both teams switching sides at the five minute mark), Spotswood had a trio of break aways with Blaine coming up with a clean save and then stopping two others by coming up to meet the ball. Conversly, Payne came close to netting her second of the net for the Mustangs, but was unable to get a shot off.
Monticello (2-0-1) hosts Orange County on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
