By Michael Letendre
BRISTOL – After scooping up a huge 6-0 win at Platt last Thursday, the Bristol Eastern girls soccer team returned home to take on the other program from Meriden.
And on Tuesday afternoon, the Lancers ended up playing Maloney to a 1-1 stalemate in a CCC South bout from Alumni Field on the campus of Bristol Eastern.
The Lancers improved to 1-3-2 overall while the Spartans moved to 1-4-1.
Eastern coach Scott Redman noted that the showdown was a chippy and physical affair as both sides left it all on the turf over eighty minutes of scholastic ball.
Both sides had a chance to win the match as the Kingstreeters scored the first goal of the engagement eighteen minutes into the fray.
To set up the scoring drive, Eastern’s Megan Krok played a ball back to Julia Armington.
The senior then made a great pass to Emma Stavens who turned and lofted a perfect shot over the Maloney keeper.
The ball was placed in no-man’s land, way out of the reach of the keeper, as the ball fell in – propelling the Lancers to an early 1-0 cushion.
That advantage held into the half as Eastern was able to seize that one-score edge despite only attempting just the lone shot on goal all game long.
However, quickly into the second forty, Maloney made its early scoring chance count.
Off a corner kick by the Spartans, the Lancers had multiple chances to clear the ball out, but it ended up at the feet of Maloney’s Molly Marcuss.
She popped the ball into the far corner of the Eastern goal to knot things up at 1-1.
However, the visiting aggression could not get another ball by Eastern keeper Abigale Pelletier (five saves) as the outstanding goalie and the Eastern defense held the fort.
“Both teams had some chances but not anything of high quality,” said Eastern coach Scott Redman. “Maloney had more shots but many from distance that didn’t test Pelletier.”
Both programs couldn’t score the rest of the way as the programs ended the affair in a 1-1 stalemate.
“Leah Roy and Taigan Parent played sensationally on defense for the Lancers,” said Redman. “Cecelia Gilbert and Emma Stavens were extremely physical and played very well in the midfield.”
BRISTOL EASTERN GIRLS SOCCER – CCC South Action
BRISTOL EASTERN 1, MALONEY 1
from Alumni Field, Bristol
Scoring 1 2 – F
Maloney 0 1 – 1
Bristol Eastern 1 0 – 1
Halftime Bristol Eastern led 1-0
Goals – First Half
18th minute – Emma Stavens (Bristol Eastern), assist: Julia Armington
Goals – Second Half
43rd minute – Molly Marcuss (Maloney)
Shots: Maloney 12; Bristol Eastern 1
Records: Bristol Eastern 1-3-2 overall; Maloney 1-4-1
