Andrews Osborne truly lived up to its Phoenix moniker as it welcomed Lake Catholic on Oct. 3.
The Phoenix ascended, fell and rose from the proverbial ashes again.
A gutsy Lake side nearly made them fall again late, too, but they remained in flight and on form nonetheless.
Irene Monteso Martinez netted a brace, including a vital second-half strike, as AOA edged out a wild 4-3 win.
The Phoenix (8-1) and Cougars (2-7-1) combined for 28 shots on target in a match that would not exactly appeal to defensive-third enthusiasts.
But AOA coach Scott McNevan saw his first-year varsity side show some resilience of its to record one of its better results of 2022.
“We were trying our best to play with a slim squad today,” McNevan said. “Two halves, and really played two quality halves, I was telling the girls after the game. Lake started so strong in the second half. And instead of folding, arguing or getting after each other, they just kind of weathered the storm and pushed back. So that’s good composure, I think. That’s something we’ve been talking about a lot.”
AOA took a 2-0 lead to halftime, the second coming in the 22nd minute when Martinez did well to get to her left foot in the box and bang home a strike.
But Lake elected to go super direct in the second 40, and it paid immediate dividends.
Shelby Nagy, who helped facilitate a pair of comeback bids with laudable work on the left flank, crossed into the box. Gianna Coreno settled a touch for a left-footed finish side net and a Cougars’ lifeline 28 seconds into the second half to make it a 2-1 match.
#NHsoccer Lake lifeline
Gianna Coreno off Shelby Nagy service 28 seconds into 2nd 40 pic.twitter.com/zHTjsIhMEL— Chris Lillstrung (@CLillstrungNH) October 3, 2022
Olivia Viskovic grabbed an equalizer in the 53rd far post in the aftermath of a Bella Leffel corner kick, pulling Lake level at 2-2.
#NHsoccer Lake equalizer
Olivia Viskovic 53rd min
2-2 match
(Sorry I cut that a bit short BTW … thought whistle was for the handball there) pic.twitter.com/1obrT002se— Chris Lillstrung (@CLillstrungNH) October 3, 2022
The Phoenix responded with a pair of strikes approaching the hour mark to go up, 4-2.
Martinez gave her side the lead with a lofting chip from distance in the 55th, and Jone Zorriketa Arteta contributed a poacher’s goal on a touch around the edge of the six in the 58th.
“I don’t know, I was so surprised,” Martinez said of her goal in the 55th. “I don’t know how I did it. But we’re so happy.
“We are so happy, because the second half was so difficult. They scored so early, but we fought and we have the result that we want. We are so happy, because it was so difficult today.”
Lake, displaying the fortitude with a short-handed side that it has for much of 2022, embarked on one last comeback bid.
Nagy delivered a lifeline in the 70th, turning the corner for a left-footed effort near post.
#NHsoccer Lake lifeline through Shelby Nagy 70th min
4-3 AOA pic.twitter.com/Hm9nunlR08— Chris Lillstrung (@CLillstrungNH) October 3, 2022
And in the final two minutes before full time, the Cougars had three good looks at an equalizer, but were turned away.
“I’m really proud of them,” Lake coach Alison Ellis said. “All of our games this year have been a battle. We know that coming in. Every game, we are going to fight for that victory. So I’m proud of them. We came back and put up a good fight, but we just didn’t finish when we needed to.”
Coming soon
For more from this match, as McNevan and Martinez discuss AOA’s path to an 8-1 record in its first year with a varsity side, check back in the coming days on News-Herald.com and in our print edition.
#NHsoccer My postmatch analysis of AOA's 4-3 win over Lake Catholic
(Match story will be tweeted shortly) pic.twitter.com/fxsmjggmfW— Chris Lillstrung (@CLillstrungNH) October 4, 2022
