Valley Sports ReportWAVERLY — Sophomore Gianna Soprano's overtime goal lifted Waverly to a 2-1 win over Owego here Friday night in STAC Central Division girls soccer action.
"Coach (Zoe) Mennig and I are very happy with how the girls played tonight," said Waverly coach Tara Hogan. "It was was a solid, hard-fought win.
"We practiced very specific skills yesterday after our game against Seton Catholic," she noted. "The girls really took those drills and put them into play tonight. We had way more opportunities than we have had in the past few games.
"The first half was cleaner and more composed than our second half, which is funny because it’s usually the opposite," added Hogan.
The Wolverines took a 1-0 lead about 10 minutes into the game when Ryleigh Judson ripped a shot that caromed off an Owego defender and into the goal.
Waverly maintained the lead until Owego ace Ashlyn Dalton took a cross, broke away from the Waverly defense, and fired a shot from close range to tie the game at 1-1 with 6:09 left in regulation.
Just 65 seconds into the overtime period, Soprano ripped a shot through traffic from near the top of the 18, and off the keeper's hands for the game-winner.
"Gianna Soprano was everywhere," said Hogan. "She had extra pep in her step tonight and her shot was absolutely incredible.
"She made great contact with the ball and just went for it," Hogan added.
Hogan was pleased with her team's performance.
"Our defenders — Makenzie Olmsted, Kendall Rockwell, and Haley Larrabee — really played smart and collected," said Hogan. "Maci Wheeler was everywhere we needed her and was actively involved with all plays. She had a fantastic game.
"Raygane Oakes continues to impress us and is seeing ample amount of time on the field because of how well she is playing.
"Maddie Cron continues to hold down the side and even got a few solid shots off," noted Hogan.
"Lily Boothby also really stepped up tonight and was a presence on the field," she added.
Waverly had an 18-9 advantage in shots-on-goal, and a 4-2 edge in corner kicks.
Claire Clonch recorded seven saves in net for the Wolverines, and Owego's Kendra Truman registered 14 saves.
Waverly, now 2-3-1, returns to action Monday at Chenango Forks.
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IN PHOTO: Waverly's Gianna Soprano. ... VSR STOCK PHOTO.
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