BURLINGTON >> If the Spartans had a target on their back at the beginning of the year, being reigning conference champs, they certainly do now after knocking off a strong Shepaug team 7-0.
“Some people will take notice,” said Lewis Mills head coach, Jason Stock. “I think (Shepaug) will be second or third in the league this year.”
Six different Spartans scored a goal in the win, including senior, Julia Pearson who netted two goals in the win.
“We have quality all over the field,” Stock said of his six different goal scorers. “We have a lot of options for a lot of goals.”
Pearson reiterated her coach.
“Our center back, Lesleigh Carter, scored on a header that’s how much depth we have,” she said. “We have a lot of depth and it starts with the starters and goes all the way down to the bench.”
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The Spartans got two goals from their bench; Ailene Berry scored the fourth goal of the game and Ashley Doyle who scored the sixth goal her own corner kick, which curled into the net.
Stock didn’t give all the credit to the offense that had 33 shots.
“We had the ball the whole time,” said Stock. “I think our defense is very underrated.”
Pearson couldn’t help but also give credit to her defenders.
“We build out of the back, we’re taught to start with the defenders,” said Pearson.
Shepaug couldn’t get anything going on offense, rarely bringing the ball over midfield.
“It’s tough to open against Mills,” Shepaug head coach Tara Flaherty. “We have a lot to work on, we’ll move forward from here, we have some injuries to work on.”
Shepaug though was missing two of their best players who were limited to injuries.
“Sarah Stratton came out with an injury 20 minutes in,” she said. “Caroline Kelly was also very limited with an injury.”
Mills got the goal scoring started five minutes in when Pearson scored on a one-on-one with Shepaug’s goalkeeper Samantha Moravsky.
“We got pumped up for this game,” said Pearson. “Once we scored the first goal we got going.”
Shepaug was able to keep Mills off the board for the rest of the first half. Once the second half began the goal scoring barrage began.
Mackenzie Bergstrom scored in the first minute, then four minutes later Carter headed her goal in on a corner kick from Anna Marinelli and just like that Mills had a commanding 3-0 lead.
After Berry scored her goal, two minutes later Bailey Pace got in on the action scoring on a header from another corner kick.
“We have so much talent on this team,” said Pearson.
For good measure Mills added two more on Doyle’s corner kick that squeaked in between the post and Moravsky and then Pearson scored her second of the game.
No matter what the score was, Stock has no plans for his team to take their foot off the gas.
“We are going to play for us,” he said. “It’s a mentality thing, we start strong and we finish strong.”
Having his team take it easy after going up by a wide margin wouldn’t help the girls said Stock.
“You can pick up bad habits,” he said.
This is just the start for a very deep and talented Mills squad and because of that they have their eyes set on big things.
“We want to win the Berks and then States,” Pearson said.
Scoreboard
Lewis Mills 7, Shepaug 0
At Nassahegan Field
Lewis Mills 1 6 –7
Shepaug 0 0 –0
Goals: LM – Julia Pearson 2; Mackenzie Bergstrom; Lesleigh Carter; Ailene Berry; Bailey Pace; Ashley Doyle. Assists: LM – Anna Marinelli; Jen Merritt; Emily Nepomuceno; Bailey Pace.
Records: Lewis Mills 1-0; Shepaug 0-1.
