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LEE – The Penobscot Valley girls soccer team spent the first 15 minutes in control of Thursday’s game against Lee.
The Howlers pressured, won balls in the midfield to set up chances for their forwards, and outshot the Pandas.
But it didn’t take long for things to turn around for Lee, and that meant getting the ball to Shelby Pickering.
Pickering, the junior striker, assisted on the Pandas’ first goal of the game, and then scored four of her own to lead undefeated Lee to a 7-1 victory over the Howlers at Linscott Field.
She set up Ashlee Gifford for the first goal, and then scored two in a row on virtually the same play – a midfielder would boot the ball over the Howlers’ heads, Pickering would settle it, make a run past the remaining Penobscot Valley defense, draw out goalie Jen Plourde a bit, and then shoot the ball into the net.
It was what the Lee coaches had been calling for during much of the first half.
“We didn’t think they were going to play up but that left us the overhead ball to chase,” Pickering said. “So me and Ashlee ran.”
Penobscot Valley’s Sarah Colbath marked Pickering.
“She marked her up real well, denying her the ball,” PVHS coach Richard Lindsey said. “But [Pickering] has excellent, excellent skills.”
The Pandas (7-0) had a 3-0 lead at halftime. Gifford scored another goal two minutes into the second half, Pickering scored two in a row, and Jackie Moors, who started both halves in goal, put in Lee’s final goal.
Penobscot Valley (4-3) outshot Lee early and had good chances on corner kicks – the Howlers had four first-half corner kicks to one for the Pandas – but the PVHS forwards couldn’t get the ball past Moors.
“We had our chances, no doubt about it,” Lindsey said. “We just didn’t have any luck. [Moors] made some excellent saves.”
Penobscot Valley’s Ashley Dawson, who was a main concern for the Pandas, scored with 7:23 left in the game. Tiffany Brown had the assist.
“We were supposed to watch Dawson for the offsides because she likes to play up a lot,” said stopper Cassi Thompson. “They like to play two up front so I kind of had to go both ways with Dawson and [forward Morgan Cyr].”
Plourde finished with six saves on 22 shots. Moors stopped all seven shots she faced. Backups Amy Lane and Jodi Worster faced three shots combined and Lane made a save.
The Howlers are without standout forward Randy Rackley, who hurt her head in a game at George Stevens on Sept. 13 and is being held out as a precaution.
“Randy can distribute the ball real well and I do miss that,” Lindsey said. “I hope we have her back before a whole lot more goes on.”
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