Western Albemarle girls soccer didn’t get the start it wanted against Monticello, and that was problematic because the stakes right now are pretty high for the Warriors after two recent ties.
“In the first half we went down really early and that was a big hit because we know that if we want to win the district we have to win out the rest of the season,” said Western’s Nicole Bilchick. “We couldn’t afford a loss like that.”
Bilchick did her part to make sure that the Warriors didn’t absorb that loss, scoring twice in a 4-1 victory over the Mustangs where Western reeled off four-straight to win it after falling in the early hole when Monticello’s Hannah Swartz scoring off a high, arcing cross from Mackenzie Scheel.
“We have been making some tactical changes and figuring things out throughout the season,” said Monticello coach Thomas Warren. “It looked really good overall today.”
The Warriors got back on track when Bilchick tied it up on a free kick goal from way outside the box, drawing it over the keeper’s head from near the Monticello bench.
“That tied it up 1-1, so we’re back in the game,” Blichick said.
Still, Monticello was attacking and creating chances while also at least partially holding Western’s extremely fast group of forwards in check, an improvement over the teams’ first meeting earlier this season.
“It was really big that we had Teylan Becker, a sophomore who wasn’t with us last time,” Warren said. “She’s our fastest defender and that made a big difference.”
That changed a little in the second half as Western returned to form and the goals followed, with freshman Reese Mattern providing what held up as the game winner with about 30 minutes to play after Margaret Inge drew a foul to help set up a possession. Mattern finished after a pass slipped past her but came back her way off a Monticello defender. Mattern finished with her right foot back to the near post.
Then just nine minutes later, Gabi Andres took off from near midfield and scored on her own, with a quick touch to her left setting up an angle followed by the finish to make it 3-1 Western.
Bilchick wasn’t done though as she tacked on a brilliant late goal, bending a corner kick in that Monticello’s keeper barely grazed.
“That was a nice way to seal it off and establish that we really were the dominant team in this game,” Bilchick said.
Western will get a break now before taking on Louisa next Wednesday night. The Mustangs continue a challenging week with Albemarle heading across town Thursday.
