MIDDLETOWN >> If playing the Middletown Mustangs isn’t hard enough in girl soccer, playing the Middletown Mustangs in triple-digit heat at Middletown High School is a task few teams relish.
Just ask the McKinleyville Panthers.
Middletown shut out McKinleyville 2-0 on Saturday morning, getting second-half goals from Kassi Agapoff and Sophie Kucer to improve its season record to 2-1-2. It was the second meeting this season between the two schools, the first resulting in a 1-1 tie earlier this month at McKinleyville.
“Their kids were just dying,” Middletown coach Lamont Kucer said of the Panthers. “He asked me (after the game) if I knew of any good swimming holes. I told him to try Blue Lakes, which is on their way back.”
McKinleyville was originally scheduled to play a second game on Saturday – at Lakeport against Clear Lake – but that game didn’t happen.
Middletown broke the halftime deadlock about 10 minutes in the second half on Agapoff’s unassisted goal.
“She took a ball near midfield and went down the sideline,” Kucer said. “Their goalie came out and Kassi chipped it right over head and into the net. It was a really nice shot.”
Sophie Kucer added the Mustangs’ second goal about 10 minutes later on a free kick from 30 yards out.
“The ball went into the top right corner off the goalie’s fingertips.”
Strong midifield play from Kucer, Julisa Garcia and Ellie Bazzano allowed the Mustangs to dictate the flow of the game.
“We controlled things pretty well and wore them out,” Kucer said. “We weren’t pressured a whole lot on defense.”
Middletown was home Monday to play Roseland Collegiate Prep. The Mustangs host Fortuna on Friday.
