Plum outlasts Franklin Regional in girls soccer clash
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Monday, September 23, 2024 | 10:20 PM
Plum’s Emily Grubich celebrates after scoring against Franklin Regional on Monday at Plum High School.
Plum’s Mia Nardo (right) celebrates her goal with Allison Porter during their game against Franklin Regional on Monday at Plum High School.
Plum’s Gia Babilon battles Franklin Regional’s Reilly Weaver for a header during their game on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, at Plum High School.
Plum’ goalkeeper Malayna Smith makes a save against Franklin Regional on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, at Plum High School.
Plum’s Gianna Revetta battles Franklin Regional’s Halle Beatty for possession during their game on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, at Plum High School.
Plum’s Olivia Bigger works against Franklin Regional’s Natalie Keough during their game on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, at Plum High School.
Plum’s Mia Nardo celebrates her goal with teammates during their game against Franklin Regional on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, at Plum High School.
Plum’s Allison Porter celebrates with teammates after the Mustangs scored against Franklin Regional on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, at Plum High School.
Franklin Regional’s Eden Williams celebrates after scoring against Plum on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, at Plum High School.
Plum’s Olivia Bigger works against Franklin Regional’s Natalie Keough during their game on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, at Plum High School.
Plum’s Ali Joyce heads the ball against Franklin Regional on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, at Plum High School.
Plum’s Gia Babilon battles Franklin Regional’s Eden Williams for possession during their game on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, at Plum High School.
Plum’s Emily Grubich is mobbed by teammates after scoring against Franklin Regional on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, at Plum High School.
Franklin Regional’s Eden Williams celebrates after scoring against Plum on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, at Plum High School.
Franklin Regional’s Eden Williams celebrates after scoring against Plum on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, at Plum High School.
Plum hadn’t allowed a goal in seven games before Montour tallied the only score in a nonsection victory over the Mustangs last Thursday.
Determined to get back in the win column Monday in a Section 4-3A clash with rival Franklin Regional, Plum had to withstand a charge from an upset-minded Panthers team that scored just 12 minutes into the game.
But the Mustangs were not to be denied. Plum tied the score later in the first half and scored three times in the second half to hold off FR, 4-2, at Mustangs Stadium.
“What I wanted to see was what our response was going to be from Thursday,” Plum coach Jamie Stewart said. “Franklin came out really fast and got that goal early. I wanted to again see what our response to that was going to be. I thought we responded well with scoring chances and getting that goal to tie it. That was weathering the storm. (FR coach) Scott (Arnold) had them raring to go out of the gate.”
The win was Plum’s sixth in a row over FR dating to section play in 2022. The Mustangs upped their record to 8-1 overall and 7-0 in the section. Plum is two games ahead of the Panthers (6-5, 5-2) for the section lead with five section games remaining.
“It feels great to get this win like this after we had trouble scoring in the Montour game,” said senior midfielder Serena Carnahan, who had six of Plum’s 16 shots on goal.
Plum visits Elizabeth Forward on Wednesday for a rematch of a 2-0 Mustangs win Aug. 28.
“Focus is solely on Elizabeth Forward on Wednesday,” Stewart said. “We’re not looking at anything past that. The girls have been good about that all season, not caring about what the section says. We took care of the business we needed to tonight. It was a tough battle with EF when they were here, so we expect another tough game with them Wednesday.”
Franklin Regional returns home Wednesday for a section matchup against Kiski Area.
“For us, we played as hard as we could, and we learned some things,” Arnold said. “Plum is a very fast team. If we ever see them again or a similar team, we can work on doing a better job of negating that speed by being a little tighter to them. When they get going and can create space, it’s a problem.”
Plum went ahead 2-1 three minutes into the second half.
After a packed scrum in front of the FR goal resulted in a save from Panthers junior keeper Addie Ayers and a clear, Mustangs junior Olivia Bigger took control of the ball and put it to the feet of senior Mia Nardo, who finished off the score.
It was Nardo’s second goal of the season.
“We came out pretty strong in the second half, got that goal, and really put the pressure back on them,” Stewart said.
The Mustangs added on with 18:41 left as a hand ball foul in the box on the Panthers resulted in a penalty shot for senior Gianna Revetta. Revetta didn’t waste the opportunity and scored what turned out to be the winner past Ayres to make it 3-1.
“That was unfortunate, but that’s soccer,” Arnold said. “Sometimes things go your way, and sometimes they don’t.”
The Plum goal was key as Franklin Regional responded a minute later off a free kick. Senior Eden Williams centered the ball to senior Abby Paterline in the box, and Paterline finished it off to cut the Mustangs lead to 3-2.
But the potent Plum offense didn’t relent as Nardo raced with the ball through the middle of the field and found freshman Ali Joyce, who directed the ball into the left side of the goal with 14:40 remaining.
“That counter-attack goal was gorgeous,” Arnold said. “What are you going to do? That’s hard to defend.”
The goal was Joyce’s fifth.
Junior Malayna Smith, who shared keeper duties with senior Makenna Anderson, stopped a FR free kick with seven minutes left.
Anderson, who played the first half, made one save, while Smith made three saves over the final 40 minutes.
Plum finished a 16-6 advantage in shots on goal. Ayres made 12 saves for the Panthers.
Franklin Regional got on the board first as sophomore Elliana Canfield came down the right wing, crossed a pass to Williams in the box, and Williams finished it off into an open Plum net with 28:21 left on the first-half clock.
“We knew we came out slow, but we just had to trust each other and respond the way we had to,” Carnahan said.
It was the first shot of the game for either team.
“It was a confidence boost for the girls because we hadn’t scored on them in like two or three years,” Arnold said.
“We were tired of that. We came out here more attack minded. We were playing a formation with three in the back, and we were looking to attack them and score goals. We got two.”
Revetta tallied Plum’s first shot at 25:25 with a strong kick from 28 yards. Ayres was there to meet the ball as it sailed toward the Panthers goal.
The Mustangs added three more shots over the next four minutes as Ravetta tallied another, and Carnahan recorded a pair of chances.
Plum’s fifth shot, coming with 20:58 left in the first half, yielded positive results.
Sophomore Emily Grubich unleashed an attempt from 22 yards that found the back of the net. It was her team-leading 10th goal of the season.
Franklin Regional’s second shot came with 8:16 to go until halftime on an attempt from Panthers senior captain Reese Phillips.
Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.
Tags: Franklin Regional, Plum
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