TOLEDO — Perrysburg and Toledo Notre Dame Academy have made it a tradition to open the girls soccer season against each other.
NDA coach Chip Smith likes it that way, even though Perrysburg sophomore midfielder Adyson Brown scored the game’s only goal in a 1-0 non-league win at St. Francis High School’s LeValley Stadium Friday.
“It’s the first game of the season and we haven’t really played anybody else (no preseason scrimmages),” Smith said.
“For us, we want to play Perrysburg because we just learn so much about our team. We’re excited. We learned a lot about our team.”
Brown scored her goal from the top of the 18-yard box, slicing her shot into the upper right corner of the net with 7:24 remaining in the first half.
“My teammates drove in and created space for me and played the ball negative (backwards) and I hit it back post,” Brown said.
“I was going (for the upper right back post), and when I get into the game it is just the pressure and adrenalin that just helps me with my shots.”
Perrysburg, coming off an unbeaten (13-0-5) regular season in 2022, has only two seniors, but Brown feels as a sophomore that she has been welcomed to the squad in her first year on the varsity.
In the season opener, the Yellow Jackets started both seniors, two juniors, four sophomores and three freshmen.
“It’s my first year on the varsity and it is really nice because throughout the whole summer this team has been really inclusive, and it’s been really easy to fit into this team,” Brown said.
NDA is a much older team, starting five seniors, four juniors, three sophomores and no freshmen, but the Yellow Jackets dominated possession time, outshooting the Eagles, 31-5, including 14-3 in shots on goal.
However, NDA senior goalkeeper Mo McKenna was up to the task, making 13 saves, plus she had five key non-goalie saves and aggressive play from her defensive line.
“We were very pleased with the opportunities we created but also have to give kudos to the goalie from Notre Dame,” Perrysburg coach Jorge Diaz said. “She made some amazing saves.
“Then, you know, it is our first game. I’m pleased with the way that we created, and we could have liked four or even more (goals), but we didn’t let them have more than a few shots the entire game.
“I’m pleased that we possessed, and we played well with a new group.”
Smith credited his back line for keeping the Eagles in the game. Despite being outshot, NDA had their first and only corner kick opportunity with 45 seconds remaining, but junior forward Aly Peckham’s potential game-tying shot went wide.
“I thought Mo was fantastic in goal obviously,” Smith said. “(Junior midfielder) Bailey Becker, (junior midfielder) Maddie Miller, and (sophomore defender) Lauryn Hancock, when she was back there, were outstanding.
“We were kind of unlucky to give away the goal the way we did. She stepped up to the ball harder. Hats off to Perrysburg. He’s got a great team. They played well. Some young kids for him are going to be great.”
Perrysburg freshman goalkeeper Tori Trzcinski needed just three saves to get her first prep career shutout, and junior midfielder Grace Lagendonk led the Yellow Jackets with eight steals.
Perrysburg freshman striker Elyza Byrd and sophomore midfielder Camille Francis had five shots apiece with Francis getting three shots on goal, all saves by McCanna.
Perrysburg had eight corner kick opportunities to the Eagles’ one, the Yellow Jackets were whistled for 19 fouls to NDA’s nine fouls, and Perrysburg forced McCanna into 23 goal kicks and 12 punts, while Trzcinski needed just five goal kicks and three punts.
