BERLIN- After a tense game with Bayside South rival Parkside ended in a 1-1 tie last Thursday, Stephen Decatur’s girls’ varsity soccer team left nothing to chance in a home game against Wicomico on Tuesday, routing the Indians, 6-0, with a big second half surge.
The Seahawks reeled off eight straight wins to start the season before its matchup with Bayside South rival Parkside last Thursday. Both teams were undefeated and something had to give in the first of two meetings between the conference leaders. The Seahawks and Rams played to a tense 1-1 tie, putting the first non-win on both teams’ records.
Ironically, the Rams tied Bennett 0-0 in its next game and Parkside’s record now stands at 7-0-2. Decatur, meanwhile, rebounded from its 1-1 tie with Parkside last week to take care of business against Wicomico on Tuesday. Decatur’s record now stands at 9-0-1. The Seahawks took on Bennett yesterday in a game played too late to be included in this edition. Depending on that outcome, the Seahawks rematch at home against Parkside on Monday could determine the Bayside South title.
Against Wicomico on Tuesday, the Seahawks got out to an early lead on goals by Jillian Petito and Payton VanKirk and took a 2-0 lead into halftime. Lexi VanKirk scored just about three minutes into the second half to extend Decatur’s lead to 3-0.
The Seahawks were dominating on offense and played much of the second half in the Indians’ defensive end. Decatur moved the ball around with precision passing and good movement in open space to continue to build its lead.
Petito made it 4-0 after converting a loose ball situation in front of the Wicomico net about eight minutes into the second half. With 29 minutes remaining in the game, Petito scored again on a throw-in from the corner to extend Decatur’s lead to 5-0. The Seahawks continued to apply constant pressure in the second half and added its sixth and final score with just over five minutes left in the game on a goal by Payton VanKirk. Petito finished with three goals, while Payton VanKirk scored twice and Lexi VanKirk added a single tally.