The Middletown High School girls soccer team has seen this before. The new turf field and raucous crowd have become all too familiar for the Knights. This is Middletown vs Oakdale.
The Knights will face Oakdale today at seven pm on the road in the 2A West Section I semifinals. The winner will go on to play the winner of Williamsport at Mountain Ridge, also being played today.
It seems as if the Knights and Bears square off every year in a pressure situation like this. The games are always highly contested and highly important in the 2A West playoff picture.
There is just one problem for the Bears: they have yet to beat Middletown in a girls soccer game. Not just this season, but since the existence of the Oakdale soccer program.
“I think that it’s our effort that sets us apart,” said Knights senior Julia Usiak. “We always seem to want it a little bit more.”
It’s not like Oakdale has been unable to succeed otherwise though. The Bears have won a state championship and put up an 18-1 record one season, but that one loss came at the hands of the Knights.
Oakdale is 0-6 against Middletown in its history, but they boast a 61-6-3 record against all other opponents.
In the two team’s lone matchup of the season, the Knights kept the pressure on Oakdale throughout the game, and eventually beat the Bears, 1-0.
“We could definitely capitalize more,” said Usiak. “We need finish our shots on goal.”
This season Oakdale has put up a 10-5 record. The Bears are coming off of a 1-0 victory over Boonsboro in the sectional quarterfinals.
Amber Albrecht scored the lone goal for the Bears; Christi LaBella came up with three saves.
The Knights are coming off of a dominant performance against Catoctin in the sectional quarterfinals. They beat the Cougars 5-1.
Knights star senior midfielder Alizah Johns Bohme scored two goals. Juniors Nicole Mirani, Theresa McMunn and Erin Scarborough all chipped in with a goal.
This is exactly the type of game the Knights needed after ending the season on a three game losing skid.
“We’re all really excited about that win,” said Usiak. “It felt good to score a lot of goals.”
I definitely think we can carry that momentum into the game tonight.”
Tonight, the Knights know that they need to stay focused throughout if they want to get the victory, even during pregame.
“Whenever we are really focused in our warm-ups we usually come out and get an early first half goal,” said Usiak. “When we are not focused we usually give up a goal early.”
