FROSTBURG — Allegany thought it might shock the local soccer scene on Saturday afternoon when few others did. When Cameron O’Neal took over the program three weeks ago following two midseason head coaching changes, he and the Campers set out to achieve that aim.
Following halftime, favored Mountain Ridge hammered shots at Brilynn Beatty and the blue and white wall in front of her for forty minutes after Ryleigh Nelson’s brilliant strike in the 23rd minute.
Elexa Mazuran, Sierra Campbell, and Surae Stewart held their ground, four balls clanked against the goalpost, and third-seeded Allegany achieved its goal of defeating second-seeded Mountain Ridge 1-0 in the Class 1A West Region I semifinals.
At 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Allegany defeats top-seeded Northern (12-2-1) to improve to 9-4-2 and proceed to the area championship. During the regular season, Mountain Ridge defeated Allegany 3-0 and 4-1. On Saturday, they had a significant shot lead against the Campers, 16–4.
Lamberson being the best goalkeeper
But Allegany prevailed where it mattered—on the scoreboard—and Mountain Ridge lost 11-3-1. With 17:26 left in the first half, Nelson was the only player to finish. After receiving the ball on the edge of the box with her back to the net, the rookie forward turned quickly and sent a shot into the corner beyond Taylor Lamberson, one of the best goalkeepers in the area, who made two saves. The majority of the first half was played in the Mountain Ridge half of the field, which surprised many spectators.
In order to aid in defense and serve as a distributor, Allegany had success with Nelson up top and its top goal scorer, Avery Miller, in the middle. From a more defensive stance, Myia Miller followed suit. Before the break, the Miners still had two excellent opportunities.
Kyla Farris scored with less than two minutes remaining after Ava Armstrong struck the post in the 20th minute. In the 46th and 66th minutes, Mountain Ridge put balls off the post and held a 12-0 shot advantage. After halftime, the positions were reversed. Following the half, the Miners also had five corner kicks.
To preserve its 1-0 lead, Allegany put 10 in the box and pushed Nelson down to a more defensive position as the end drew closer. Allegany’s defense and Beatty, who finished with seven saves, weathered the flurry to pull off the upset because the Miners’ breaks simply didn’t go their way.
Nevertheless, Allegany took full use of its good fortune to survive to play another day, even though luck is always a factor in single elimination playoff soccer. Allegany now faces the Huskies, who it fell to 2-0 on October 9 after tying 0-0 in Cumberland on September 23. The Campers will attempt to end Northern’s season again on Tuesday, like they have done in the last three years.
The season at Mountain Ridge ended on an emotional note. Despite injuries, including to senior leader Jazmyn White, who was sidelined on Saturday, the Miners managed to tie Northern for the best regular-season record in the region by giving up just nine goals in 15 games.