MILLTOWN — Emma Manley and Maddie Schepers each scored twice and added an assist as Saint Mark’s remained undefeated in girls soccer with a 5-0 win over Ursuline on April 4. The Spartans are now 4-0 this season.
Saint Mark’s controlled the ball throughout the first half, and their offensive pressure was on display early. Schepers missed a goal by a foot in the eighth minute, and the Spartans would earn two corner kicks before Manley got them on the board. That came in the 12th. Spartans goalkeeper Marissa Cirillo bgan a play with a goal kick, which was corralled near midfield by Lily Phillips. She sent the ball ahead to Manley, who was two steps in front of the Raiders’ defense. Her shot was true for the 1-0 advantage.
The Spartans kept the heat on, but despite getting five more corner kicks and a few good chances, the lead stayed at a single goal after 40 minutes. They picked up where they left off as the second half opened, and it paid off early. In the 41st minute, the Spartans’ Kayleigh Brady caught up to a ball in the right corner. Her crossing pass deflected off Raiders goalkeeper Julia Terzaghi to Schepers, who had a wide-open net in front of her.
Ursuline had a chance in the 47th, but Cirillo was able to stop a medium-distance shot from the Raiders’ Zoe Carberry. That chance came during a stretch where the Raiders took the play to the Spartans, but Saint Mark’s withstood the challenge. They had a chance in the 51st when Cirillo was handcuffed by an Ursuline lob toward the goal, but the Spartans’ defense was able to clear the loose ball.
After that, the Saint Mark’s offense went back to work. Manley earned her assist on a cross to Phillips, who scored in the 54th minute. Terzaghi kept the score 3-0 with big saves on shots by Manley and Phillips before Schepers sent a left-footed tracer just inside the near post in the 64th. The final goal came on a corner kick in the 71st. Schepers’ inbounds pass carried just over Terzaghi’s oustretched arms onto the foot of Manley.
The Spartans had a 16-5 shot advantage, and they had 10 corner kicks to none for the Raiders. Cirillo had five saves for her second clean sheet of the season. The Spartans continue a busy week on Wednesday, when the host Newark Charter at 3:45 in the third of five straight home matches.
Terzaghi was solid for Ursuline, stopping 11 Spartans shots. The Raiders, who have already played three of the four finalists from last season (Caravel, Padua and Saint Mark’s, along with Division II semifinalist Archmere) fell to 1-3-1. They host Appoquinimink on Friday at 3:45 p.m.
All photos by Mike Lang.
