MIDDLETOWN — After spending most of last season scratching out goals and trying to avoid injuries, the Middletown Mustangs are finding the first half of the 2008 girls” soccer season much more to their liking.
Behind five second-half goals from Kelsey Welton, the Mustangs opened their North Central League I North schedule with a dominating 9-0 victory over the Willits Wolverines on Tuesday in Middletown.
Middletown (1-0 North, 8-1 overall) grabbed a 3-0 lead in the first half on goals by Brittany Cash, Emily Beckwith and Natalie Diaz. Welton, who spent the first half at keeper, moved to forward in the second half and scored five of the Mustangs” six goals.
“I knew she was going to take some shots, I didn”t know she was going to take that many,” Middletown coach Louise Owens said.
While Middletown struggled at times on offense last season with a senior-dominated team that featured standout forward Kayla Welton, the much younger Mustangs in 2008 are getting the job done so far.
“We have five upperclassmen and the rest are freshmen and sophomores,” Owens said. “One of my coaches told me that while they may be lacking in skills, their determination makes up for everything else,” Owens said. “They know what they want and they”re after it.”
Middletown also has avoided the injury bug with the exception of the loss of starter Shelby Davis.
“Knock on wood,” Owens said. “Apart from that, we”re healthy.”
Amber Begley had two assists for the Mustangs.
In others girls” soccer action Tuesday:
St. Helena 4, Upper Lake 1
At Upper Lake, Yessica Ayala”s penalty kick in the second half knotted the score at 1, but the St. Helena Saints went on to beat the Upper Lake Cougars in the NCL I South opener for both teams.
Neither team scored in the first half.
“It was a good game, both teams were in it,” Upper Lake coach Ana Santana said. “My players did what they had to, but we fizzled out at the end.”
The Cougars are 0-1 and 2-5 overall.
Clear Lake 6, Lower Lake 0
At Lakeport, coming off a three-goal performance in Clear Lake”s 3-1 non-league win over Rincon Valley Christian on Saturday in Santa Rosa, Elena Tipton picked up another hat trick, this time before halftime, as the Cardinals blanked the Lower Lake Trojans in NCL I interlock action.
“We”re getting the ball to her and a lot of other people,” Clear Lake coach Paul Larrea said of Tipton”s scoring binge. “We”re getting the ball to her at the right time.”
Tipton”s three goals in the first half helped the Cardinals (8-4-1) build a 4-0 first-half lead and the Cardinal reserves pretty much took it from there.
Mori Jordan came out of the net in the second half to score a goal for Clear Lake. Tara Bastian and Talia Paskaly also scored.
“We just played a lot of people and had a lot of shots on goal,” Larrea said.
In the win over Rincon Valley Christian, Larrea said marking backs Ashley Perry and Megan McDonald led the charge for the Cardinals.
“Rincon Valley Christian is a very good team,” Larrea said. “I don”t think we”ve won at their place in four or five years.”
Boys” soccer
Fort Bragg 3, Kelseyville 0
At Fort Bragg, the Fort Bragg Timberwolves shut out the Kelseyville Knights in the NCL I North opener for both teams.
Kelseyville”s best scoring opportunity came in the second half when Tony Aguilar missed a penalty kick.
“We thought we could do it,” Kelseyville coach Eduardo Ledesma said of beating the defending North champions. “But they just outran us. We”re also not passing enough.”
Kelseyville is 0-1 and 4-2-1 overall.
Clear Lake 4, Lower Lake 1
At Lakeport, Josh Espinoza scored twice in the first half as the Clear Lake Cardinals beat the Lower Lake Trojans in NCL I interlock play. It was the second straight win for coach Brian Figg”s squad.
Robert Anderson, playing with a cast on the arm he broke last month in a game against Kelseyville, scored on a long shot in the second half for Clear Lake (2-8) and Matt Stegman added another insurance goal on an assist from Matt Weiss.
Willits 2, Middletown 1
At Willits, Jason Candelario”s header goal midway through the second half was all the offense Middletown could muster in a NCL I North loss to the Willits Wolverines, who led 2-0 after the first half.
It was the league opener for both teams.
“We actually controlled the second half, we just could not find the net,” Middletown coach Lee Hoage said.
Middletown is 0-1 and 5-6.
Volleyball
Middletown def. Clear Lake
At Middletown, Middletown won the final two games to beat the Clear Lake Cardinals 20-25, 27-25, 18-25, 25-21, 15-11 in NCL I interlock volleyball action.
“That was the longest, hardest game I”ve ever played,” Middletown coach Jennifer Breiner said of the marathon match. “Clear Lake got everything up, but my girls never gave up. They would not stop fighting.”
Kayla Wood pounded out 30 kills and had 12 blocks to spark the Mustangs. Kelsey Guzman added 12 kills and four blocks, Jen Emberson had five aces and two kills, and Jenny McGee had 21 assists and two kills.
Jesse Sondag”s 28 kills and 14 digs paced the Cardinals. Danielle Howard led the team with seven blocks.
“Their setter set better than we did tonight,” Clear Lake coach Marci Psalmonds said. “We should have won in three games.”
Lower Lake def. Cloverdale
At Cloverdale, Lower Lake won the first two games but needed the maximum five before putting away the Cloverdale Eagles 25-18, 25-22, 24-26, 23-25, 15-11 in NCL I interlock action.
Lower Lake was a single point away from winning the third game and taking the match in three straight, but Trojans coach Danessa Udy was forced to make a substitution that helped the Eagles take the next two games.
“It was just something I had to do,” Udy said about an internal team matter.
Renita Gilliam”s nine kills and seven blocks led the Trojans. Darlena White added four kills and seven aces.
