Editor’s Note: This article has been corrected to accurately reflect the order in which App State’s goals were scored.
By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Deft ball-handling, pesky defense and constant pressure on the opposition goal were the order of the day on Aug. 20, as App State women’s soccer produced a 3-0, home opener win over George Mason at the Ted Mackeroll Soccer Stadium.
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An estimated 700 fans packed the stands and grassy knolls above the field, enjoying the warm sunshine as late summer begins its transition into fall.
“We knew George Mason would be a tough, scrappy opponent since they fought us to a 0-0 draw at their place last year,” said Mountaineer head coach Aimee Haywood after the match. “I expected a lot of fight from them and that is what we got. The first 20 minutes of each half they were battling us hard, physically. So to score three goals against them today is big time. It shows a lot of growth in our team this year. We had a lot of ball throughout the game and a lot of opportunities so I am pleased with that. There were some mistakes, of course, that we have to fix but the intensity and possession was good, as was our roster depth. We played a lot of our roster today.”
A junior forward from Durham, N.C., Stephanie Barbosa accounted for the first and second Mountaineer goals, both timely punches that found the back of the net after moments of mayhem in front.. Barbosa’s goals established clear Mountaineer momentum before a penalty kick awarded to Izzi Wood, a senior forward from Hickory, N.C., in the 58th minute. While Barbosa’ second goal was unassisted, Sarah Widderich and Shannon Studer were both credited with an assist on the first goal. It came just 31 seconds into the second half, bringing a roar from the crowd and jumpstarting the Mountaineers’ second half energy.
Of the first goal, which game in the 11th minute of play, Barbosa was particularly excited about it.
“That first one, it really got us pumped up and we just kept carrying the energy,” said Barbosa, the former all-state high school player. “As a team, we have recently been saying we need to play with passion. That’s what we did today.”
Of the play leading up to her penalty kick, Wood said, “I just remember we connected in the back and had a great through-ball. Somehow I ended up with the ball and when I went for the shot, there was a hand ball in the penalty box.”
Wood said she knew exactly where she was going to place the ball on her penalty kick.
“I practice it all the time,” she said.
App State dominated possession and that was reflected in the team’s statistical performance. The Mountaineers worked themselves into position to take 21 shots, compared to just four for the Patriots. George Mason goalkeeper Ginny Fronk played the full 90 minutes, crafting four saves on the afternoon, two of them dramatic, diving stops and a third leaping high to deflect a hard shot over the top of the net.
Next up for App State is a road game at University of Tennessee-Martin on Aug. 24, before returning to play High Point on Aug. 27, at Ted Mackeroll Soccer Stadium, 1 p.m.
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