Reader, Butchki score as BVA tops Ringgold

By JEREMY SELLEW

jsellew@yourmvi.com

A rivalry game brings out the best in the two teams, and Saturday was no different at Ringgold’s Joe Montana Stadium.

The host Ringgold girls soccer team has played two high-quality games against their cross-river rival Belle Vernon Area, but the Leopards were able to come out of the game with another 2-1 win over the Rams and maintain a firm grip on second place in the Section 2-3A standings.

“The rivalry brings out the best in these two teams,” BVA head coach Tracy Lovett said. “I think we’re a couple of teams that came into this one pretty evenly matched. We were able make a couple of adjustments and get that first goal.”

The teams battled to a scoreless first half, despite the Leopards (9-1, 7-1) having the better opportunities in the early going.

“I think we did a good job kind of weathering their storm,” Ringgold coach Olivia Wilkerson said. “This was a dogfight. I think the biggest thing is they scored first.”

BVA sophomore Farrah Reader got on the board first with a goal at the 28:58 mark of the second half. Reader was sent into the box with a great pass from Jillian Butchki.

“We moved things around a little. We had Farrah up at forward, then we moved her into the midfield,” Lovett said. “I think that was huge for us, especially with her size. After the half, we moved her back up top and that looked like the formation that really looked best for us.”

Just under nine minutes later, Izzy Laurita sent a great pass to a streaking Butchki, who placed a perfect shot past Emily Doleno to give the Leopards a 2-0 lead.

Trailing 2-0, Wilkerson made an adjustment, too, moving defender Abby Whaley and taking advantage of her ability to create opportunities.

That’s exactly what she did.

With 15:38 left to go in the game, Whaley chased down a ball along the left sideline and sent a perfect cross just outside the 18-foot box.

The Rams’ Kaitlyn Ferrence made a nice touch to get the ball back down to her foot and ripped a shot past BVA keeper Grace Henderson.

“We had to do something to force our offense and that’s exactly how we scored our goal,” Wilkerson said. 

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