Louisville Builds Early Lead, Rolls Past Boardman 4-1 in AAC Opener – Girls Soccer
Louisville 4, Boardman 1
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The Louisville Leopards Girls Varsity Soccer Team built a three-goal first-half lead and rolled past the host Boardman Spartans 4-1 in their All-American Conference opener Monday night at Spartan Stadium. Reese Riley contributed to all four Louisville goals with two goals and two assists as the Lady Leopards improved to 4-1 overall and 1-0 in the AAC.
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Riley Records Two Goals, Two Assists to Lead Leopards
Riley was at the center of Louisville’s attack throughout the night, assisting on both of the Lady Leopards’ first two goals before scoring their final two.
Her first assist came with 20:48 remaining in the opening half. Olivia Barthel started the sequence by driving a deep ball roughly 30 yards downfield. Riley and a Boardman defender converged on it before the ball carried through to Ava Seitz, who accelerated around the right side and gained possession. Seitz continued toward goal and finished into the right side of the net to put Louisville ahead 1-0.
Riley helped double the advantage just over eight minutes later. A Barthel throw-in from the left side found Seitz in the corner, where she worked her way along the goal line before centering the ball to Riley. Riley’s shot struck the crossbar and caromed back into play, where Kasey Lint was waiting to redirect the rebound into the right side of the net for a 2-0 lead with 12:43 remaining.
Riley later found the net herself with 2:42 left before halftime and capped her four-point night by converting a penalty kick with 57 seconds remaining in the contest.
Louisville Builds 3-0 Lead Behind Complete Team Effort
Barthel did not appear in the scoring column, but the senior played a role in creating all three of Louisville’s first-half goals.
After helping initiate the sequences that produced the first two scores, Barthel again made an impact on Louisville’s third goal when she headed a Boardman throw-in back the other direction. Ava Waggoner gained control and switched the ball across the field to Addy Schmidt.
Schmidt won possession in the corner and crossed toward the center of the penalty area, where Riley was waiting to redirect the ball into the open left side of the net. The goal stretched Louisville’s advantage to 3-0 with 2:42 left in the half.
The Lady Leopards’ balanced buildup allowed three different players to contribute to the first-half scoring. Seitz and Lint found the net, while Riley recorded a goal and two assists before the break.
Boardman Gets on the Board Before Halftime
The Spartans answered late in the first half to cut into the Louisville advantage.
Ava Acevedo sent a free kick from near the right sideline into the penalty area. The ball traveled through traffic in front of the goal before reaching Rima Rosenburg at the back post. Rosenburg one-timed it into the net to make it 3-1 heading into halftime.
The goal gave Boardman some momentum entering the break, but Louisville never allowed the Spartans to build on it.
Louisville Defense Shuts Down Spartans in Second Half
The Lady Leopard defense clamped down after halftime, limiting Boardman to just one shot on goal during the entire second half.
Goalkeeper Tristyn Edgein finished with five saves and kept the Spartans off the scoreboard over the final 40 minutes as Louisville protected its two-goal cushion.
The score remained 3-1 until the final minute, when Riley was taken down on the left side of the box while creating another scoring opportunity. She stepped to the spot for the ensuing penalty kick and drove it into the left side of the net with 57 seconds remaining to complete her two-goal night and seal the 4-1 victory.
Louisville finished with 15 shots and earned five corner kicks in the contest.
Louisville Earns Second All-Time Win Over Boardman
Monday’s victory improved Louisville to 2-3 all-time against Boardman and marked the Lady Leopards’ first win over the Spartans since a 2-1 road victory in 2013.
Both Louisville victories in the series have come at Spartan Stadium, where the Lady Leopards are now 2-1 all-time. Boardman won the first two meetings in Louisville in 2003 and 2006 before defeating the Leopards 2-1 at Spartan Stadium in a 2017 Division I Austintown Sectional Semifinal.
The 4-1 final also represents Louisville’s largest margin of victory and most goals scored in the five-game series.
<<< Previous 2017 | Boardman All-Time Series
UP NEXT: The Louisville Leopards Girls Soccer Team will next travel to Warren to take on the Howland Tigers on Thursday, September 17 at 7:00 PM.
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Louisville at Boardman Girls Varsity Soccer Box Score
LEOPARDS 4, SPARTANS 1
Team 1-2–TOTAL
Boardman 1-0–01
Louisville 3-1-04
1st Half
LOUISVILLE – Ava Seitz (Reese Riley) | LHS 1, BHS 0, 20:48
LOUISVILLE – Kasey Lint (Reese Riley) | LHS 2, BHS 0, 12:43
LOUISVILLE – Reese Riley (Addy Schmidt) | LHS 3, BHS 0, 2:42
BOARDMAN – Rima Rosenburg (Ava Acevedo) | LHS 3, BHS 1, ??
2nd Half
LOUISVILLE – Reese Riley PK | LHS 4, BHS 1, 0:57
Shots: Louisville 15
Corner Kicks: Louisville 5
GK Saves: Tristyn Edgein 5
Records: Louisville 4-1, 1-0; Boardman 2-4, 0-1
