LAKEPORT >> The Clear Lake Cardinals represented another hurdle in Middletown’s quest for a 10th straight North Central League I girls soccer championship and the Mustangs cleared it with relative easy on Tuesday afternoon in Lakeport, winning 4-0.
Aly Ferguson scored three goals and Sophie Kucer added another as Middletown improved to 5-0 in league play and 10-2-2 on the season. The Mustangs also extended their unbeaten streak in league play to 24 games, a streak that dates back almost two full calendar years.
Unlike several of Middletown’s opponents this season, Clear Lake didn’t stack the defensive end with extra players.
“We went right at ‘em,” Clear Lake coach Tommy Burke said. “They came out with a lot of pressure in the first half and we weren’t quite ready for it.”
Two goals from Ferguson in the first half gamve Middletown a 2-0 lead at halftime.
Middletown’s defense limited Clear Lake to two shots on goal in the first half although the Cardinals (3-2, 5-5) regrouped in the second half and were able to get off nine shots.
Kucer, who was injured late in the game and had to leave, and Ferguson scored in the second half to secure the Middletown victory.
“We know they (Ferguson and Kucer) are their top goal scorers and we gave both of them too much room,” Burke said of the Clear Lake defense. “We didn’t close them down and if you don’t close them down they’ll put the ball into the back of the net.”
Standouts for the Cardinals included Lexi Burke, Skye Bruch, Brooklyn Jenkins and Carina Martinez, according to Burke.
Middletown faces a first-place showdown on Thursday at home against a St. Helena team that took a 4-0 league record into a Tuesday home game against Willits. Clear Lake hits the road Thursday to play Kelseyville.
