If it weren't for the soccer ball in the photo, this shot could be from a mixed martial arts match. Penn Charter sophomore Maggie Boyes (right) clashes with a Hill School challenger. (Photo by Tom Utescher)

by Tom Utescher

After going through a rough patch earlier in the month, last week the girls' soccer team at Penn Charter put together back-to-back victories that should serve as a nice late-September springboard to launch the Quakers into the heart of the Inter-Ac League season in October.

Trailing 1-2 against Agnes Irwin on Monday, PC scored twice late in the second half to log its first league victory, improving to 1-2 in the Inter-Ac. Two days later, the team bumped its overall record up to 4-3 with a 6-1 rout of visiting Hill School.

"I hope this can be the turning point for us," Charter head coach Darci Spencer said. "We've very talented but we've very young. It's taking a while to come together, but it's starting to happen."

Even though there was a successful outcome against Agnes Irwin, Spencer was frustrated by seeing her charges create a number of scoring chances but then fail to find the net many times. This was not the case against Hill, as PC scored twice in the first 12 minutes and was up 3-0 before the Lady Rams deposited their lone goal of the afternoon.

"For once this season, we finished our chances early in a game," the coach commented. "We had good shots from distance that had pace on them. That changes the game, gives you control.

"Where we've gotten in trouble," she continued, "is when we let teams that aren't that strong just hang around. Then you get late in a game, and just one counter by the other team can cost you."

Freshman Kait Haughey, who would top the score sheet with a hat trick, fired from outside the top right corner of the box to put Penn Charter on the board with five-and-a-half minutes gone. From the same side, senior Gi DeMarco (who will sign with Wake Forest) sent the ball across the box toward the far post. To make sure the ball made it into the cage, sophomore Sara Shipon sealed off the play and tapped the ball in, making it 2-0 just over a dozen minutes into the action.

PC sophomore India Barnes explores options to move the ball up out of the defensive end as senior goalie Mackenzie Listman looks on. (Photo by Tom Utescher)

Another 10th grader then got in on the scoring; Toni Linus headed in a corner kick taken by junior Emma Maley to put PC up by three before Hill School broke up the shutout with 11:36 left in the opening period. A little under eight minutes remained in the half when Haughey blasted in her second goal to set the tally at 4-1 for the intermission.

Starting senior goalie Mackenzie Listman retired to the sidelines, and sophomore Riley McDade played the second half in the cage. Listman had played the whole way in most early games, but in recent outings Charter has been giving the second half to McDade, who is preparing to assume greater responsibilities next season.

"Riley's been doing well when she goes in," Coach Spencer remarked, "and against Agnes Irwin she played really well and made some key saves."

While sophomore Kaylee Murphy already saw varsity time as a defender in 2016, some other members of the current defensive unit are newcomers to their positions.

"Emma Maley was moved back from the midfield, and India Barnes is also new in the back," Spencer noted. "They've both adapted very quickly and they're doing a great job."

Freshman Kaitlyn Hnatkowsky has also been starting in a defensive role, and farther up the field Janae Stewart and Camille Weiss, along with Haughey, have the Quakers playing with four ninth-graders on the field almost all the time.

Early in the second half, Charter continued to pressure the visitors, but didn't add to its lead. Eventually, Haughey fired her third goal of the day and Stewart also scored as the Quakers rolled to their 6-1 win.