McClain rallies in 2nd half to defeat Fairfield

LEESBURG — The McClain Lady Tigers took a quick trip from Greenfield to Leesburg on Monday evening, and after trailing by a goal at halftime, they rallied to defeat the host Lady Lions by a 3-2 score at FHS on senior night.

Fairfield led at halftime by a 2-1 score, scoring the first two goals of the non-conference game, starting with sophomore Vivian Henninger at the 37:46 mark for the early 1-0 lead.

The next goal for the Lady Lions was a goal by another sophomore, with Emerson Zink putting the ball into the back of the net with 32:32 on the clock for a 2-0 lead over the visiting McClain team.

Then both teams continued to battle for possession of the ball, each getting momentum, and with 18:50 left in the first half, McClain got on the board with a goal from sophomore Larah Henson, cutting Fairfield’s lead in half at 2-1.

With the score staying 2-1 at halftime, it was McClain who regrouped and didn’t allow a single goal in the final 40-minute half, and their offense played strong by putting two more goals on the scoreboard for the eventual win.

McClain tied the score at 2-2 with a goal by sophomore Paisley Pryor and took the lead when junior Addison Olaker scored the go-ahead and game-winning goal for MHS.

“We had another slow start with giving up the two goals to start the game but kept battling and were able to get one in the first half, which helped gain some momentum going into the second half,” MHS head coach Blain Bergstrom said. “We were able to hold them in the second half with a solid defensive effort and were able to capitalize on some nice passing to get two more goals in the second half.

“This team showed a lot of grit and determination after falling behind early to pull off the win. This was our 10th regular-season win, which is a school record for most wins in a season for Lady Tigers soccer. We are trying to build momentum going into the tournament, and the game tonight was a great test because Fairfield has an excellent team.”

Fairfield honored three seniors before the game, and they were Claire Newkirk, Hannah Hamilton and Kendal Welling.

“Our senior class is a small group, but it's a group that has definitely played a great role in this program," Fairfield head coach Jacob Alexander said. "With Claire Newkirk, she's been our goalkeeper and last year she was the keeper for the district championship. We have Hannah Hamilton, who stepped up big for us. Last year, she played a lot more defensive mid, and this year she's stepped up and solidified things at the center back for us.

“Then you've got Kendal Welling, who's been a solid piece for us out wide, setting things up, and getting some goals at key times as well. All three of the girls will be missed."

The loss moves the Lady Lions to an overall record of 11-4-0. McClain improves to 10-4-2 overall.

MHS is scheduled to play their regular-season finale on Wednesday, Oct. 9 at home against the Eastern Lady Warriors at 5 p.m.

Fairfield is scheduled to play Thursday, Oct. 10 at home vs. Jackson, followed by their regular-season finale Friday, Oct. 11 against the North Adams Lady Green Devils at 6:45 p.m., which is also their final SHAC game of the season.

BOX SCORE
MHS    1 2 — 3
FHS    2 0 — 2

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