MIDDLETOWN — Brittany Cash and Emily Reed scored two goals apiece on Tuesday and the Middletown High School girls” soccer team improved to 4-0 with a 6-0 non-league victory over the Upper Lake Cougars at Middletown.
Both teams entered the game undefeated.
“I was pretty nervous about this game,” Middletown coach Louise Owens said. “They (Cougars) had beaten Kelseyville 9-4 and in the past Kelseyville has been a good defensive team.”
Middletown went up 1-0 four minutes into the game on a Kelly Wilkinson goal that was assisted by Cash. Cash scored two minutes later to make it 2-0, the halftime score.
Middletown”s defense, even without Natalie Diaz in the lineup (sprained ankle), kept the Cougars (2-1) off the scoreboard.
“We”re trying out a new defense in preparation for our game Thursday (at home against St. Vincent),” Owens said. “I was very happy with how the girls did.”
Reed scored twice in the second half and Cash and Kiley Agapoff also had goals to boost Middletown”s lead.
Agapoff moved into Diaz”s midfield position and played quite well, according to Owens.
“Kiley, Kelly Wilkinson and Missy Deno did a great job playing together in the midfield,” Owens said.
Diaz, who Owens calls an “impact player,” sustained her ankle sprain last Thursday in practice and no date has been set for her return.
Upper Lake coach Mike Sheets praised the play of several of his players, including Yessica Ayala, Jaclyn Smith, Tayrn Re, Jojo Stifter, and keeper Annie Martinez, who had 11 saves.
“Ayala had several attempts on goal,” Sheets said. “The girls played their hearts out.”
In other soccer action Tuesday:
Cloverdale 3, Kelseyville 1
At Kelseyville, Mon-ique Santana”s first-half goal was all the offense the Kelseyville Knights could muster in a non-league loss to the Cloverdale Eagles.
“We”re a work in progress,” Kelseyville coach Mark Andre said of his mostly green squad. “We started to come on near the end of the first half, but we didn”t continue it.”
Andre said the Knights” inexperience is hurting them.
“We”re on a learning curve, it”s a slow thing,” he said. “It might take more time than we have.”
Cloverdale scored twice in the second half to snap a 1-all tie at halftime.
Standouts for the Knights (0-3) were Amanda Santana, Morgan Shannon and keeper Shana Cossey.
“They”re trying hard,” Andre said.
Fort Bragg 1, Clear Lake 0
At Fort Bragg, taking advantage of a depleted Clear Lake roster, the Fort Bragg Timberwolves scored a second-half goal to beat the Cardinals in non-league action.
“We had only 13 players,” Clear Lake co-coach Paul Larrea said.
Fort Bragg out-shot Clear Lake 10-7.
“The defense played great,” Larrea said of the efforts of such players as junior defenders Jasmine Flores and Gabby Reyes.
Other standouts were Megan MacDonald and Jessica Rentsch.
“Really, the entire defense played a good game,” Larrea said. “We had some opportunities on offense but we missed them.”
The Cardinals (2-5-1) dropped a 7-2 non-league decision on Saturday to Sonoma Academy in Santa Rosa. Elena Tipton scored both of Clear Lake”s goals.
Boys” soccer
Kelseyville 2, Cloverdale 0
At Kelseyville, all of a sudden, things are looking up for the Kelseyville Knights and head coach Eduardo Ledesma.
Oscar Martinez scored a goal in each half and the Kelseyville defense took it from there in shutting out the Cloverdale Eagles.
Struggling to find enough players only a couple of weeks ago, the Knights are now up to 15 players, including the return of veterans Cristian Gomora, the Knights” keeper, and Osvaldo Rojas.
“I”m getting my defense back,” Ledesma said. “And more kids are showing up at practice.”
Kelseyville (2-1) had to beat back a determined Cloverdale offense, according to Ledesma.
“Their offense is pretty good, they”re a really good team,” he said.
Gomora made seven hard saves, according to Ledesma.
Other defensive standouts were Rojas, Tony Castellanos and Oscar Lopez.
Right now, the Kelsey-ville offense is humming along behind Martinez, according to Ledesma.
“He”s my go-to guy,” Ledesma said.
The Knights are home Thursday to play Clear Lake.
