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Clearfield falls to Brookville, 2-0
Friday, October 16, 2009
By Rich Murawski Assistant Sports Editor
HYDE - The Clearfield girls soccer team was shut out by visiting Brookville, 2-0, on a cold and snowy Thursday afternoon on a field more suited for ice hockey than soccer.
The teams trudged through a slush-covered field, slipping and sliding their way around for 80 minutes of kick-and-run soccer. Any type of passing game was virtually non-existent, as the ball did not travel well on the messy Bison Sports Complex field.
"Nobody should have to play in these conditions," Clearfield head coach Jen Wright said. "It was unsafe for the players and difficult to run your offense. We're a passing team, so the field conditions certainly didn't play into our favor."
Clearfield did get the first - and its best - scoring opportunity early in the game, working the ball into the Brookville goal box on its initial rush before B.J. Bowman pushed a shot just wide of the post.
But the Lady Bisons found it much more difficult to get a quality shot after that, as the field deteriorated rapidly and connecting-passes were becoming less and less possible.
"Our cleats were clumping up, and a ball that would normally travel 20 or 30 yards wasn't even going 10," Wright said.
"It was hard to play the ball long and it was hard to dribble. You just had to kick and run, and that definitely isn't our style."
Brookville got on the board at the 16:41 mark when Amanda Ruffner got loose inside the Clearfield 18 and fired the ball by Lady Bison keeper Brandie Centi.
"We had a great chance in the first few minutes and couldn't capitalize," Wright said. "The outcome may have been different had we got the first goal. Brookville did capitalize on its chances. (Ruffner) had a great hit on the ball and put a solid shot on net."
The Lady Raiders took a crucial two-goal lead at 31:57 after Clearfield was called for an infraction just outside the goal box.
Lady Bison defender Candice Morgan was jockeying for position with a Brookville player, who was trying to dribble into the Clearfield goal box. The ball got away from the Lady Raider player and both she and Morgan tried to get to the ball.
The ball got kicked to Centi, who picked it up to stop play. But she was called for illegally touching a ball that was played to her by a teammate.
Brookville took full advantage of the indirect kick, as Krista Edwards touched the ball and Jordan Mason blasted it off the back of a Lady Bison player and into the corner of the net.
"That was just an unlucky call," Wright said. "It was a 50/50 ball that both players were going after, but we got called for passing it back to the goalie."
That goal took the wind out of the Lady Bisons' sails.
"The girls were already freezing, and that goal was tough to take," Wright said.
The second half was scoreless as the teams combined to take just eight shots. Brookville outshot Clearfield, 16-9 in the game. Both squads had three corner kicks.
Centi stopped 10 shots for the Lady Bisons, while Renee Hills made five saves for Brookville.
Clearfield (5-7-4) is back in action Tuesday at State College. Brookville 2, Clearfield 0
Scoring Summary
First Half
1. Amanda Ruffner, B, (unassisted), 16:41.
2. Jordan Mason, B, (Krista Edwards), 31:57.
Shots: Brookville 16, Clearfield 9.
Saves: Brookville (Renee Hills) 5, Clearfield (Brandie Centi) 10.
Corner kicks: Brookville 3, Clearfield 3.
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