WESLEY CHAPEL – Mitchell’s chances against Wiregrass Ranch seemed to take a hit when its starting goalkeeper had to sit out with an illness.
It turns out the Mustangs didn’t need her.
In a clash of two of the North Suncoast’s top teams, Mitchell held Wiregrass to two shots on goal and pulled away in the second half to earn a 2-0 victory Monday night.
“It was a good one,” Mustangs coach Karl Kukec said.
With junior Erica Disbrow sidelined because of sickness, Ashley Johnson took over as the starting goalie – but her defense made sure she was hardly tested for Mitchell (10-0-1). The Mustangs controlled the ball and denied Wiregrass Ranch (9-1) opportunities inside the box.
The Bulls – who were without standout goal scorer (and USF commit) A.J. Blount because of injury - didn’t muster a good scoring chance until the closing three minutes of the first half, when a shot glanced off the post.
“Our game plan pretty much worked,” Kukec said.
Mitchell’s defense led to plenty of scoring opportunities on offense. The Mustangs had three shots hit the post – and another denied by a diving Dayton Wetherby– before finally breaking through midway through the first half.
Senior Leslie Fallon kicked in a ball that snuck through the box to give Mitchell a 1-0 lead with 22 minutes left in the first half. The Mustangs tacked on another goal midway through the second half, when UConn commit Danielle Gottwik found Amanda Hayes for a strike with 17 minutes left.