CLOVERDALE >> A tie isn”t as good as a win, but a tie that gives you the undisputed North Central League I girls” soccer championship will certainly do.
That was the case for the Middletown Mustangs on Thursday as they battled the Cloverdale Eagles to a 1-1 draw at Cloverdale. Middletown improved to 10-0-2, mathematically clinching a seventh straight league title,
“That”s pretty cool, I”m pretty excited about it,” Middletown first-year coach Amy Emerson said.
While the Mustangs, now 13-1-3 overall, didn”t dominate the Eagles the way they did back on Sept. 30 in Middletown where they won 6-1, the hard-fought draw served its purpose on a couple of counts. Middletown not only wrapped up another league title but now Emerson has the option of resting a handful of banged up players next week, the final week of the regular season.
“Getting healthy for the playoffs is our No. 1 priority,” Emerson said.
Middletown has reached the sectional championship game two years running, winning it in 2012 against Sonoma Academy and losing to the same team last year.
Both goals in Thursday”s contest came in the second half. Cloverdale scored on a penalty kick to go ahead 1-0 before Caitlin Lemoine tied the score a few minutes later with an assist from Madison Ketchum.
“It was hard to watch at times because the girls were really off,” Emerson said.
Middletown had 32 shots on goal but couldn”t find the mark.
Cloverdale (8-3-1) entered play second in the league standings behind the Mustangs and had only a handful of shots, but the he Eagles” defense clamped down hard on two of Middletown”s primary scoring threats, Rosie Emerson and Kaleigh Alves.
“They double-teamed both of them,” Emerson said.
Middletown returns to action Tuesday afternoon in Lakeport against Clear Lake before closing out the regular season next Thursday in Lower Lake.
