SANTA ROSA — In a battle of undefeated North Central League I leaders, the Roseland University Prep Knights shut out the Middletown Mustangs 4-0 in girls soccer action Tuesday afternoon in Santa Rosa.
RUP is 7-0 at the midway point of the NCL I race with Middletown a game back at 6-1. The teams don’t meet again until Oct. 21 in Middletown, the final day of the regular season.
“Maybe they felt the pressure of the streak,” Middletown head coach Ashley Hart said of the 12 straight league titles won by the Mustangs entering the 2021 season. “There was a not a lot of energy out there. We didn’t really engage until the last five minutes of the game.”
RUP, a first-year member of the NCL I, led 2-0 at halftime but didn’t score its first goal until 20 minutes into the first half, according to Hart. The Knights’ defense clamped down hard on the Mustangs’ top scorer, junior Ellary Isherwood, holding her to a single shot on goal.
“She averages 15,” Hart said.
Paige Astley had the most shots on goal with three.
“They (Knights) had really good passing, spacing … everything they did we were supposed to do but couldn’t pull off,” Hart said.
Coming off a strong practice Monday, the Mustangs struggled from the outsetTuesday, according to Hart.
“We weren’t the same team,” she said. “The girls don’t know why. They (Knights) were attacking and we didn’t take advantage of our opportunities.”
Hart praised the defense of Zamora Rogers and the spirited play of Mya Marschal.
“Mya brought energy in the second half and helped propel us,” Hart said.
Middletown’s first-year coach said she hopes the “humbling experience” of a 4-0 loss will motivate her players for the second half of the league season, which opens Thursday at home against Lower Lake.
“We’re going to go back to work,” Hart said.
