Strong defense fuels Hubbard in 2-1 win over Salem
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SALEM -- Goalkeeper Maela Thompson and her Hubbard teammates on the backline made scoring a challenge on Monday night.
The Salem girls soccer team had plenty of chances, but the defense helped the Eagles earn a 2-1 win over the Quakers at Sebo Stadium in Salem.
"Defense has been our biggest focus for this year, the organization part of it," Hubbard head coach Cory Reinard said. "All season long, the girls have been great defensively. Although I wasn't completely pleased with how we did today, a little bit slow, but our compactness and our awareness covered a lot of space there."
Thompson was under fire in the first 11 minutes.
The Quakers had a ball go off the bottom of the crossbar. Then Chaya Murray got off a shot that required Thompson to make a jumping save, and finally, the Quakers sent another shot that required her to body the ball.
"I don't know how that didn't go in," Salem head coach Greg Davis said of Murray's shot. "It was a great opportunity we had - great opportunities in both halves. Shots were there, they just weren't falling for us tonight."
Thompson's effort gave Hubbard (6-3-1) its opening.
Leighton Komlanc found some space upon entering the box and deposited the ball into the bottom-right corner, giving the Eagles a 1-0 lead with 26:30 to play in the first half.
The Quakers (5-4) tied it at 1 with 4:57 left in the half.
Emily Sinsley took a pass from Addison Hopple roughly 30 yards out. Her show sailed and bent to the left, going over the outstretched hand of Thompson.
The Eagles retook the lead with 31:57 remaining.
Emma Langley got the ball while heading toward the left corner. She made a sliding attempt, and with Salem keeper Layla Hewitt leaving the net to get to the ball, the shot rolled into the right corner for the score.
"It was a little more counterattack than I prefer, because those were the chances that we created, but getting into those counterattacks from the midfield up really improved our field position," Reinard said
Salem got off one last shot with 40 seconds left, but much like most of the night, Thompson was in perfect position for the save.
The loss snapped the Quakers' three-game winning streak. Meanwhile, the Eagles extended their win streak to four.
Hubbard will have a tough task if it wants to keep its streak alive. They will have three straight Northeast 8 games in the span of a week. The Eagles will travel to Poland, then to Lakeview and finally to Niles.
The game against Poland is set for Thursday at 5 p.m.
"Don't become a second-half team. Can we become a first-half team," Reinard said of his goals for the team in the coming games. "Get our goals and try to put teams away right away."