For the first time since the 2020 season, the Cardinal Huskies girls’ soccer team can put their name in the win column. The Huskies rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Newton Falls 5-2 last Wednesday evening in Trumbull County.
“I think it brought up the team morale a little bit to get them a win,” said Coach Dakota Ward. “In the last two games we woke up a little bit and in this last one we really woke up and I think it will be good for them because now that they have a little taste of victory.”
In the team’s first varsity season since the 2020 campaign, the Huskies (1-3-0, 0-1-0) had gotten off to a slow start, losing their first three matches. The first-year coach attributed Cardinal’s slow start to still learning how to adjust to the speed of varsity action but acknowledged that his team was more of a second half team.
On Wednesday, it appeared it would be a similar result as Cardinal trailed 2-0 near the end of the first half. In addition to trailing 2-0, the Huskies were also short-handed, playing with only 10 available players with one player being absent because she suffered a concussion in the previous game.
Rather than wait to turn things around in the second half, Cardinal quickly struck for two goals in the final 10 minutes of play in the first half, knotting the score at 2-2.
Junior striker Ivy Kaminski buried a shot off an assist from right midfielder Eve Kaminski after receiving a nice cross from the left side of the field, trimming the Tigers’ lead to 2-1 at the 30st minute of play.
Sophomore left midfielder Cambrya Kitzmiller then delivered a nice pass to Eve, who scored off of the assist inside the 37th minute of regulation, tying the score at 2-2.
Ward said that the key to the Huskies hitting their stride near the end of the first half was because he made the tactical decision to switch Eve and Cambrya’s positions, and it paid dividends, evidenced by the Huskies’ sudden flurry.
According to Ward, entering the half in a tie after a lackluster start to the match reinvigorated the Huskies. He said that he challenged his team to not let their comeback in the first half go to waste and they responded.
Eve delivered the go-ahead goal at the 47th minute of regulation when she fired a shot over the Tigers’ senior goalkeeper’s Carlie Kozak’s head inside the upper right post off an assist from freshman defensive midfielder Mia Mathys., pushing Cardinal ahead to 3-2.
In addition to becoming more connected on offense, Ward credited Cardinal’s defense with a stout second half, controlling possession for the majority of the half.
“The defense was ready to play,” he added. “Our defense really stepped up and started playing like they knew what they were doing back there so that really helped keep the pressure off our goalkeeper and keep the ball off our half of the field.”
Ivy scored Cardinal’s final two goals and the Huskies finished the match on a 5-0 run.
Ward credited his squad for showing resiliency in the face of another early deficit but also praised the tenacity of the Kaminski sisters for igniting the offense, combining for all five goals and two assists.
“They are very athletic sisters. They work hard and are very competitive and they want to win but it was a team effort,” he said. “It really was a team effort, but the Kaminski sisters were a huge impact in helping us put in the five goals to end the night.”
With only 10 players, Cardinal turned the table on Newton Falls with a striking comeback victory.
“That makes us feel pretty good and feel like we have a small team, but we can stay in games if we want to,” Ward said.
Although the Huskies are playing their first season as a varsity team since 2020 with a small roster, Ward said that the team has some very capable scorers in the attacking third in the Kaminski sisters and Kitzmiller, all of whom have deep backgrounds in soccer.
He also said that Cardinal’s defense is anchored by junior left center back/goalkeeper Delilah Turron, who has the most soccer experience on the team.
“They help lead the other girls and try to guide them to what to do because they do have the most experience and also Delilah, she has great experience back there and she is always in the right position,” said Ward.
After a road duel against Northeastern Athletic Conference Stars Division foe Pymatuning Valley on Tuesday, Cardinal will return to action when it hosts Trinity for a non-conference match on Sep. 15 at Richard A. Moss Field in Middlefield.
