Hornets Score 5th Straight Shutout Against North Penn-Liberty

By: Ed Weaver  /  September 13, 2022  /  Photo: Ed Weaver

The Wellsboro Varsity Boys Soccer team continued their string of shut outs to open the 2022 season, as they defeated North Penn-Liberty 8-0 on Monday, September 12.

Wellsboro scored 4 goals in each half, and started the game out with three before the midway point of the first half. Junior Caden Smith and senior Jack Poirier combined for the four 1st half goals, with Smith scoring three of them for his third multi-goal game of the season. Smith struck six and a half minutes in off a Poirier assist, then Poirier scored off a corner kick by sophomore Lucas Cuneo to make it 2-0 just shy of 10 minutes in.

Smith then converted a pass from senior Sam Rudy at the 26:03 mark, then later struck with 17:48 remaining on an unassisted goal.

"We've been fortunate that all 22 guys with the exception of one game here, have had quality minutes on the field," head coach Todd Fitch said. "We're getting experience and we're able to work on some things against opposition than in a regular training."

Wellsboro's four remaining goals all came with under 10 minutes remaining in the second half. Poirier started with a little dribbler in front of the goal, assisted by junior Jacob Abadi, then Rudy struck a minute later with 9:09 to go. Poirier assisted Smith for his fourth goal of the game with 7:05 remaining to make it 7-0, senior Peyton McClure snuck a shot right under the top crossbar for the Hornets' final goal of the afternoon.

Wellsboro took 18 shots on goal and had a 9-3 advantage in corner kicks. Senior Aiden Gehman and junior Mitchell Butler combined for another clean sheet, making 5 saves on the Mounties' six shots.

"I've been really pleased with our defense through out first five games," continued Fitch. "We have a relatively new back line, we have Peyton back but also graduated two outside backs so we have some new faces back there but they're working really well together. They're preventing lots of opportunities to even take shots, and we're getting good back pressure from our guys when the ball passes them and they're turning and helping out defensively. So that's good too."

There was no JV game.

Wellsboro (5-0, 4-0 NTL) finishes off the week with games at Athens (Wednesday) and Loyalsock (Saturday) before returning home a week from Monday against Montoursville.

"We're going to have to be on top of our game. That's been our mindset all along, we'll take one game at a time. We had some good pre-season scrimmages, a great team camp earlier this summer, so the standard we're trying to play to, we're really hoping that will make us competitive and be in those matches coming up."