Clarion Strikers U12 Girls Shut Out Grove City, Wolmodorf Chalks Up Hat-Trick

Joanne Bauer

Joanne Bauer

Published May 11, 2015 4:20 am
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GROVE CITY, Pa. — The Clarion River Striker Valley U12 Girls team travelled to Grove City Sunday and competed in the scorching sun with temperatures nearing 90 degrees on an unusually warm Mother’s Day.

Starting the second half of the season with a bang is just what the girls needed to be rejuvenated after losing a couple of close games. With a small bench to begin with, the Strikers were missing two players this week. Both Parker Boyden and Riley Burford have been sidelined due to injury.

However, the Strikers Family has depth and the U12 team called in the reinforcements. After playing in the heat during their U10 game, Strikers Gia Babington, Olivia Siegel and Taylor Alston had the endurance to pull off a double header. The three travelled after their Clarion game and went right into action in Grove City.

The scoring began in the first 10 minutes when midfielder Olivia Bish carried the mail past two Grove City midfielders down the sideline and crossed a pass to center forward Cami Wolmodorf who shot and scored left. Grove City shot on goalie Evelyn Lerch six times in the first half but thanks to defenders Ali Clark, Jenna Miller, and Olivia Siegel damage control was maintained. Korrin Burns playing center-mid felt the scoring should continue and performed a fabulous, calculated split of Grove City defense and shot right to make it 2-0 going into the half.

Forwards Joyce Kim and Gia Babington kept the Grove City defense honest by pressuring and keeping the ball in Grove City’s end during the second half. Several more scoring opportunities came as the younger U10 Strikers Alston and Babington took shots on Grove City’s goalie only to have saves at the last second.

Grove City then found life and kept the ball in Clarion’s end of the field as the heat was beginning to take a toll. Lerch stopped the ball from entering the goal 11 times as most shots were being taken from the weak side. And, Lerch made them pay for their offensive push. Lerch punted the ball past half field and Wolmodorf exploited a tiring defense, patiently waiting for a bounce to play in her favor and shot past the goalie right side for her second score.

Joyce Kim then had an opportunity as she found and open goal only to be stopped by the new second half goalie. Wolmodorf wasn’t done as she was determined to score again. One combination of kicks left Wolmodorf, the goalie and two defenders on the ground with Wolmodorf still trying to score from lying on the ground only to be denied at the last second. But her final score was destined as Grove City’s goalie errantly played a ball too far out of the box, and Wolmodorf stole the ball and marched in unabated for her third score, the hat-trick. Final score: 4-0 Clarion.

Coach Perry Boyden was quoted “Our girls performed beautifully today and didn’t squander any opportunities. Our organization has obvious strength and I was impressed with our younger girls’ play, especially without Parker and Riley here. I look forward to having their help in our last few games. Also I found it refreshing to record another shutout for our girls on the books.”

Thanks to the assistance of the U10 Strikers Girls, the U12 Girls Strikers Girls have two shutouts under their belt and look forward to attempting to upset undefeated Meadville at home this Sunday, Clarion’s last home game of the season.

Article and photo submitted by Matt Lerch

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