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Three second-half goals lift Grenadiers
Tunkhannock’s Maria Romero (9) battles GAR’s Kaleigh Bubblo for a loose ball on Monday while Paige Thomas (19) provides support for the Grenadiers. GAR was shorthanded and had to play with the minimum 11 players, unable to make any substitutions.
Niko J. Kallianiotis/For The Times Leader
GAR’s Alicia Riggsbee (left) goes up for a header against Tunkhannock’s Amelia Ayers in the second half of Monday’s game. Riggsbee scored twice in the second half to rally the Grenadiers to the win.
Niko J. Kallianiotis/For The Times Leader
WILKES-BARRE TWP. — Normally, a player going home sick from school is no big deal.
Except in the case of the GAR girls soccer team, which has just 12 players on the roster.
That left just 11 players to overcome a two-goal deficit Monday, yet the Grenadiers pulled it off for their first victory of the season.
Alicia Riggsbee scored what proved to be the game-winner with about 15 minutes left and GAR held off one final Tunkhannock rally attempt for a 3-2 victory in a Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2-B game.
“It was definitely morale booster,” GAR first-year coach Stephanie Frank said. “It feels really good. It’s our first home game and only our third time up here on the field, too. It’s good to feel the first ‘W.’”
It didn’t appear GAR (1-2) was heading to victory. Janel Kalmanowicz scored an early goal for Tunkhannock (0-1), and the Tigers went up 2-0 when Brielle Sherman scored about 12 minutes into the second half.
“It was really rough for us, especially being one person down,” GAR midfielder Emilee Bubblo said. “We only had 11 players and no subs.”
And the way Tunkhannock was peppering GAR keeper Julianna Leco, it seemed a matter of time before the Tigers scored again. Twice in the first half, they had shots hit off the crossbar.
GAR’s Kaleigh Bubblo quickly reversed what looked like dire circumstances, scoring 31 seconds after Sherman’s goal.
“That boosted us a lot,” Riggsbee said, “because we knew we had a chance to win.”
Riggsbee proved that in the 59th minute, tying the score 2-2 by taking advantage of a defensive breakdown in the penalty area to connect on a liner.
Home-field advantage might have played a part in Riggsbee’s goal. GAR’s field is among the smallest in the WVC and it allowed defender Caitlyn Kovach to launch a long clearing pass to Riggsbee. Riggsbee was able to run onto the ball and scored with just under 15 minutes remaining.
Tunkhannock didn’t let the final minutes pass by without trepidation for GAR. The Tigers hit the crossbar for a third time and had a couple solid opportunities broken up by GAR’s Bri Majikes and Ashley Maloney.
“For one, we don’t have any subs,” Kaleigh Bubblo said. “For a person who has to run the whole field at center mid, at times you just want to give up. Because that’s what I wanted to do so many times. But then I look at my teammates who are trying and it makes me want to do harder.
“Once we scored that first goal, that was it.”
Tunkhannock
1
1
—
2
GAR
1
2
—
3
First half: 1. TUN, Janel Kalmanowicz (Maria Romero), 6th min; Second half: 2. TUN, Brielle Sherman, 52nd; 3. GAR, Kaleigh Bubblo, 53rd; 4. GAR, Alicia Riggsbee, 59th; 5. GAR, Riggsbee (Caitlyn Kovach), 66th.
Shots: TUN 44, GAR 13; Saves: TUN 10 (Spencer Corby), GAR 30 (Julianna Leco); Corners: TUN 8, GAR 2.
Honesdale 1, North Pocono 0
Randi Jo Kowalczyk scored early in the second half and keeper Brittany Kriner recorded a shutout as the Hornets remained undefeated in Division 2-A.
Taylor Corbin assisted on the winner.
North Pocono
0
0
—
0
Honesdale
0
1
—
1
Second half: 1. HON, Randi Jo Kowalczyk (Taylor Corbin), 45th min.
Shots: NP 8, HON 19; Saves: NP 17 (Meghan Utter), HON 8 (Brittany Kriner); Corners: NP 1, HON 2.
Hanover Area 2, Wyoming Seminary 0
Hanover Area finally opened its season as Gabby Murphy and Angela Frawley scored unassisted in a shutout victory.
Keeper Ciera Gensel made seven saves.
Wyoming Seminary
0
0
—
0
Hanover Area
1
1
—
2
First half: 1. HAN, Gabby Murphy, 7th min; Second half: 2. HAN, Angela Frawley, 39th.
Shots: WS 7, HAN 17; Saves: WS 10 (Allison Yuscavage), HAN 7 (Ciera Gensel); Corners: WS 3, HAN 7.
Meyers 10, MMI Prep 0
Kaylee Macko scored three goals in the first half to help Meyers cruise to a victory against MMI. Ingrid Ritchie and Leanne McManus each scored two goals for the Mohawks.
Amanda Miller had seven saves in goal for MMI.
MMI Prep
0
0
—
0
Meyers
5
5
—
10
First
half: 1. MEY, Kaylee Macko, 3rd min; 2. MEY Ingrid Ritchie (Macko), 10th; 3. MEY Macko (Jillian Gagliardi), 20th; 4. MEY Macko (Aubree Patronick), 29th; 5. MEY Ritchie, 35th; Second half: 6. MEY Leanne McManus (Ariel Weidler), 46th; 7. MEY McManus (Maureen Lisman), 48th; 8. MEY Lisman, 48th; 9. MEY Weidler (Gagliardi), 52nd; 10. MEY Amanda Tredinnick, 54th.
Shots: MEY 17, MMI 3; Saves: MEY 3 (Alivia Weidler 2, MacKenzie Winder), MMI 7 (Amanda Miller); Corners: MEY 8, MMI 5.