Cougars pull upset with help from an unlikely source

Quince Orchard knocks off previously unbeaten Damascus 3-1
by Joey Sabet Special to The Gazette

Coming into Monday's game against Quince Orchard, the Damascus girls soccer team won its first eight games of the season by a combined margin of 47-2.

However, without perhaps its biggest impact player in Shannon Dwyer due to injury, the Cougars didn't panic despite an early goal from Damascus and rallied for two second half goals, one from a freshman, for the 3-1 upset.

Quince Orchard (5-4 overall, 4-0 Montgomery 3A) isn't used to being the underdog, but after graduating a solid senior class and despite coming in with a deceptive 4-4 record, it was no secret who the favorite was on this night.

"We've been really concentrating on mental toughness because we have a young, inexperienced team," said QO head coach Peg Keiller. "The kids just pulled through tonight."

Just after an early chance went awry for Damascus (8-1, 4-1 3A), in the second minute Erin Gaughan sent in her second dangerous cross in as many minutes, only this time Mary Hunkeler was able to reach it and guide it past Gabby Paolini for the early 1-0 lead.

Keeping up the pressure early, the Hornets had several chances to add to its lead, the best coming in the 11th minute when Meggy Kreysa made a sensation run and got a solid strike on net, but Paolini was just able to swat it away for a spectacular save.

"I think we've gotten better each game, and we really played well tonight," said Paolini.

Late in the first half QO began to sustain some pressure in the final third, breaking through after a Damascus turnover and Lauren Holdsworth made a great pass to fellow sophomore Kelly Whiteis who rocketed it near-post upper 90 in the 35th minute to tie the game.

A young squad regardless, QO got its game winner from a freshman who plays "maybe 10-15 minutes a game" according to Keiller.

In the 58th minute, a beautiful long ball was guided on target by Jess Konecke; after the initial save by Allison Gardner, Vida Branco nailed the uncontested opportunistic tap-in goal to give the Cougars the lead.

"I just remembered 120 percent in the box, and just put my foot out there," Branco said.

Freshman Danielle Fernandez nearly tied it in the 64th minute on a perfectly-placed free kick that went over the wall and over Paolini's head, but just kissed the crossbar.

The ball was loose in the box for what seemed like an eternity, but Paolini made another great diving stop on Kat Leiby's point-blank strike on what would be the last great chance for the Hornets on the night.

Konecke scored on a play similar to the Branco goal in the 70th minute, with Mary McMeekin on the initial shot, and Damascus was unable to create any chances to threaten the two-goal deficit.

"I think they out-hustled us and definitely wanted it more," said Damascus head coach Katie Roberts. "We weren't doing things that made us successful in the past...This is definitely an obstacle we're going to overcome."