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HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS
Experience pays off for senior-laden Midland
Cabell Midland sophomore forward Sami Molina kicks past Huntington goalie Taylor Hickman for a score in the second half of the Huntington High vs. Cabell Midland game on September 2, 2008.
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ONA -- On Tuesday evening, it was easy to figure out which team had eight seniors and which team was trying to develop a new scheme when Cabell Midland and Huntington took the field in a girls soccer matchup.
The senior-laden Knights jumped out to a 5-0 lead at halftime and ran away with an 8-1 victory over the Highlanders at Cabell Midland High School.
It was a definite change from the last three years in which the teams had embarked on a trio of 1-0 matchups.
"The last three years it has been 1-0," Cabell Midland coach Andy Wilson said. "In a rival game, you never know what you are going to get. We got a couple of good shots on goal early and it just steamrolled from there."
Cabell Midland dictated the offensive play with the play of their forwards as Sami Molina and Ally Cole, an offensive midfielder, repeatedly got past the Huntington defense.
Pinpoint passing and the speed of forward Kelsey Matthews combined to forge an attack that garnered 11 shots in the first half and put five in the back of the net.
"Our goal is to get it to our three up there and let them play the defense," Wilson said. "If we can get the pressure up there, it takes it off everyone else."
Matthews opened the scoring in the seventh minute off a feed from Cole and Molina netted a goal off a pass from Christine Morabito just three minutes later to give the Knights all the cushion they needed.
Huntington appeared to be timid on both ends of the field, and Cabell Midland took full advantage on the offensive end. The Highlanders are learning a new system under new coach Nicolette Keevy, who said that it will take time for the team to get acclimated to the system.
"We tend to get behind teams and not come out hard because we are nervous and we are playing a new setup," Keevy said. "Once we settle in, we get better. One of our difficulties now is that we aren't finding the back of the net."
Cabell Midland had no such problems in improving its record to 5-0. Six different Knights scored goals on the evening. In addition to Matthews' hat trick, Molina added another goal in the second half and Leah Kinker notched a penalty kick goal and an assist in the victory. Jessica Biehl also had a pair of assists.
Despite the lopsided score, Wilson said he was very impressed with Huntington's passing ability and its ability to control possession.
"They are going to be tough," Wilson said. "They did some good things."
HUNTINGTON 0 1 -- 1
CABELL MIDLAND 5 3 -- 8
CM -- Kelsey Matthews (assist Ally Cole), 7th minute
CM -- Sami Molina (assist Christine Morabito), 10th minute
CM -- Leah Kinker (penalty kick), 13th minute
CM -- Kali Morton (unassisted), 19th minute
CM -- Matthews (assist Jessica Biehl), 36th minute
CM -- Molina (assist Kinker), 44th minute
HH -- Megan Floyd (assist Abi Woods), 52nd minute
CM -- Tara Elswick (assist Biehl), 72nd minute
CM -- Matthews (assist Lindsey Jarrell), 75th minute
Shots: HH 6, CM 22. Saves: HH 12 (Hickman 12), CM 3 (Beckett 3). Corner kicks: HH 1, CM 0.
