ECNL: Freestate with seven wins in eight matches to start season
By Jimmy LaRoue
Freestate’s Under-15 through U-18 ECNL teams started their seasons strong, picking seven wins and a tie in eight matches over the weekend.
Under-14: Bethesda returns to action with a win
After being off of league play for nearly a month, Bethesda SC (6-3-2) returned to action and picked up a 5-0 win over Richmond Strikers (0-9-1) Saturday, getting goals from five different players–Jamie Fink, Natalie Gately, Montanna hill, Olivia Kane and Samantha Martinez, along with assists from Fink, Gately and two from Francine Phillips.
Kane has 10 goals and eight assists, while Fink has nine goals and five assists. Gately has five goals and five assists.
Alexandra Rice of Carmel United (9-0-1) leads the Mid-Atlantic Conference in both goals and assists with 13 and 10, respectively.
Freestate (2-6-3) tied the Strikers 1-1 Sunday.
The Strikers, meanwhile, gained their first point of the season in a 1-1 tie Sunday with Freestate Soccer Alliance .
Under-15: Freestate opens with a pair of wins
The Strikers (1-8-1) lost a pair of games over the weekend, 1-0 to Bethesda (1-1-0) and 4-0 to Freestate (2-0-0). Bethesda’s lone goal came from Lauren Applequist. Virginia Rush (4-5-2), meanwhile, split a pair of 1-0 games, falling to Freestate Saturday and defeating Bethesda Sunday. Bethesda and Freestate were opening their seasons in the U-15 through U-18 age groups.
Under-16: Bethesda opens season with pair of 3-0 shutouts, Freestate’s DeLoach has four of five goals for team over weekend
Bethesda (2-0-0) opened the season with a pair of 3-0 shutout wins over Richmond Strikers (2-7-2) and Virginia Rush (1-10-0). Bethesda got goals from Keaira Clark, Makela Davidson and Taylor Kirchgessner in the win over the Strikers, while three different players–Alexandra Hamer, Heather Rucci and Stephanie Shin, scored in the win over Rush, with Hamer also picking up an assist.
Freestate (1-0-1) had a four-point weekend, defeating Rush 4-0 and tying the Strikers 1-1. In the win over Rush, Paige DeLoach tallied a hat-trick in the win over Rush, while Alyssa Hill scored the other. Clarissa Kirsch-Downs had two assists in the win over Rush. DeLoach ended up scoring another Sunday, picking up another in the tie against the Strikers.
Under-17: Freestate with 13 goal weekend in pair of wins to start season
Freestate (2-0-0) dominated in winning its first two games to start the season, picking up a 9-0 win over Virginia Rush (1-10-0) and a 4-1 win over Richmond Strikers (5-3-3). Bethesda (1-1-0) split its games, falling 2-0 to the Strikers but defeating Rush 4-0.
The Strikers’ Elizabeth Ball had a pair of goals over the weekend, upping her season total to nine.
Under-18: Freestate doubles-up on wins to start season
Allison Cislo scored twice, and Hollie Byer and Caroline Kimble added goals as Freestate (2-0-0) defeated Virginia Rush (0-9-2) 4-0 on Saturday. Lindsay Lane added two assists for Freestate, while Destinee Morris had another assist. Freestate also held off Richmond Strikers (4-6-1) 1-0 Sunday.
Bethesda (1-0-1) defeated the Strikers 5-0 Saturday and tied Rush 1-1 Sunday.
