Marshall plan works for 'Dogs

October 04, 2005|By ANDY MASON

Kristen Marshall's sophomore season already is more sensational than her freshman year was phenomenal.

Marshall - who scored a team-high 19 goals for last year's regional runner-up Martinsburg girls soccer team - upped her 2005 area-leading goal count to 21 with a pair of scores Monday as the No. 8 Bulldogs beat host St. Maria Goretti 4-1 in an Apple Valley League match.

"I'm just happy because I beat my record from last year," Marshall said.

She'll be even more happy if the Bulldogs (9-5-2, 7-1) can improve on their 12-8-2 record from last year.

"We want to be undefeated for the rest of October," Marshall said. "We want to come out sectional winners again and hopefully win states."

First, they had to get by Goretti (3-9-1, 3-6-1), which wasn't an easy task early. Martinsburg outshot the Gaels 13-3 in the first half, but largely due to 11 saves by Goretti keeper Andrea Buckner, the game nearly was a scoreless tie at halftime.

Nearly.

In the closing seconds of the half, Buckner knocked away a shot by Sara Orr, but Marshall picked up the deflection and finally put one in the net from 8 yards out for a 1-0 Bulldogs lead.

"I was getting pretty frustrated. We kept kicking, but they just kept going to (Buckner)," Marshall said. "After I scored that goal, it was definitely time to step it up in the second half."

Two minutes into the second half, Ashley Ausherman gave Martinsburg a 2-0 advantage, scoring on an assist from Laurel Bobo.

But a rout was far from on, as seven minutes later Carissa Grove scored on an assist from Justine Beachley to cut the Gaels' deficit to 2-1.

"Our girls put forth a valiant effort in the first half, and that made them want to try harder to get back in the game in the beginning of the second half," Goretti coach Dan Durski said. "We started picking momentum up, but Martinsburg just has a well-balanced, powerful team."

In the 69th minute, Marshall all but sealed Martinsburg's victory, taking a pass from Ausherman on the fly and dribbling past the Goretti defense on the way to her second goal and a 3-1 lead.

"(Marshall) is our workhorse," Martinsburg coach Meredith Matczak said. "A lot of our offense goes through her. She's our little fire starter out there. She's got some speed and she's got some ball skills and when you get her going, she's deadly."

Orr scored unassisted in the 75th minute to make it 4-1.

For the game, the Bulldogs outshot the Gaels, 24-10. Buckner had 16 saves, while Martinsburg keeper Morgan Hunley had six.

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