CLARKS SUMMIT — The Abington Heights girls soccer team scored five goals in 21 minutes during the first half to pull away from Scranton in a Lackawanna League Division 1 match Tuesday at Clarks Summit Elementary School. The Lady Comets added two more goals in the second half to defeat the Lady Knights, 7-0.
Tiana Yarns started the scoring with a goal off an assist from Allyson Derry with 37:01 to play in the first half. Just over seven minutes later, Emma Henzes scored an unassisted goal to give Abington Heights a 2-0 advantage.
Henzes scored her second goal of the day off a cross from Ally Christman with 23:16 remaining in the half. Henzes connected with Christman for a goal, less than a minute later, to put the Lady Comets ahead, 4-0.
Kelly Seechock, one of five Lady Comets to score a goal during the game, found the back of the net on Abington Heights’ 18th shot of the game.
“We want to have a balanced attack,” Henzes said. “Ally is a great leader and we have a lot of other girls up top who are starting to follow in her footsteps.”
Scranton (1-3) registered its first shot on goal with 12:08 left in the first half, but Lady Comets goalkeeper Johanna Show made the save. Abington Heights outshot Scranton, 18-1, in the first half and 37-2 in the match.
Scranton goalkeeper Jasmyne Moody, who made 14 saves, stopped the first eight Abington Heights shots of the second half before Christman scored an unassisted goal with 18:29 remaining in the match.
Paige Morgan added the final tally with an unassisted goal with 5:03 left in the contest.
Abington Heights head coach Roger Jacobs believes the Lady Comets will need scoring from each player on the team in order to continue improving throughout the season.
“They are all supposed to score, every one of them” he said. “They all know they’re supposed to shoot. There are no (strictly) offensive players; every girl should be striking the ball.”
Lady Comets goalkeeper Trish Caucci stopped a point blank shot to preserve the shutout with three minutes left in the match
Abington Heights (3-0 in Lackawanna League play) has outscored its opponents, 17-0.
“I think, offensively, we’re really starting to connect at this point in the season,” Henzes said. “We’ve been practicing a lot on finishing goals. Our defense is really strong and they’ve been playing together since last year. They’re starting to click a lot more.”
Abington Heights will travel to play Scranton Prep, who is also undefeated in league play, at 4:15 on Thursday, Sept. 17.