ALAPOCAS – Archmere built an early lead that didn’t last, but the Auks responded when challenged in the second half and captured a wild 5-4 girls soccer win at Wilmington Friends on May 12. It was the Auks’ sixth consecutive win, and perhaps their strangest of the season.
The Quakers entered the game riding an eight-game winning streak, but Archmere came right at them early in the game. The Auks headed a corner kick just high in the seventh minute, and their pressure defense caused a few Friends turnovers. Finally, they found the net in the 12th. Quakers goalkeeper Lorelei Cochran made a diving save, but the Auks’ Allison Perpiglia got to the loose ball and knocked it past the prone keeper.
Marina Mahon doubled the Archmere lead just two minutes later. She blasted a shot from a sharp angle to the keeper’s left, and the ball deflected off Cochran’s gloves and into the net. The Auks set the play up with a steal on a goal kick.
Then, in the 19th, another steal led to another Auks goal. This time, Lyla Bell (St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, Glen Mills, Pa.) intercepted a Quakers pass and sent a shot 30 yards into the right side of the net.
Friends did not panic, and a great save by Cochran set them up for their first goal. Sofia Dattani caught up to a long through ball down the right side, and she snuck a shot by Auks keeper Lucy Fiacco in the 26th minute. Both teams had chances before the half ended, but the Auks took the 3-1 lead into the break.
Archmere came out with the pressure to open the second half, but the Quakers were the first to get on the scoreboard. Fiacco (St. Ann Parish) made a big save in the 50th, but the rebound went to Dattani, who scored her second and pulled the Quakers to within a goal.
Friends tied the game 10 minutes later. On this one, Ryan Weigand took a free kick from about 40 yards out, and Katherine Weigand was there to redirect the ball into the net for the equalizer. Little did anyone know what was about to unfold.
The Auks answered immediately on a pretty goal by Marina Mahon. She got some space from a severe angle far to Cochran’s left. Mahon’s shot kept rising and caught the upper left corner, restoring the Auks’ lead. However, it took the Quakers less than a minute to tie the score again. A foul in the 18-yard box resulted in a Quakers penalty kick, and Dattani earned her hat trick with the goal.
The teams had a few minutes to breathe before the fourth goal in a five-minute span. Archmere was awarded a penalty kick after a handball was called on a Quaker in the box. Cochran made the save, but her outlet pass went directly to Lila Matthews (St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother Parish, Avondale, Pa.), who reacted quickly and sent the ball into the back of the net.
With 15 minutes remaining, anything was possible. Friends’ best chance to tie once more came in the 78th minute, but Fiacco came up with a big save, then had her defense back her up to clear the ball from the 6-yard box.
The Auks outshot the Quakers, 20-14, and had a 5-0 edge in corner kicks. Fiacco had 10 saves. Archmere (9-4) wraps up the regular season on Wednesday at Sanford at 4:30 p.m.
Cochran made 15 saves for Friends. The Quakers fell to 11-3 and will host Brandywine on Wednesday at 4 p.m. in their regular-season finale.
Photos by Mike Lang.
