With six of their starting 11 players either freshman or sophomores, it would be reasonable to expect 2018 to be a rebuilding year for the Bradford Lady Owls.
That hasn’t been the case for Warren Shaw’s soccer squad so far, however, as Bradford has stayed competitive in almost every game this year through a grueling schedule.
Thursday afternoon was no different, as the Owls hung tough with Meadville for most of the contest but ultimately fell 2-0.
It was the second time Meadville has blanked Bradford (6-7) this season, with the Bulldogs shutting out the Owls 3-0 last month.
“It wasn’t what they did, it was on us,” Shaw said. “We stepped to balls but we just didn’t finish anything. We had many opportunities and really it was an even game and I didn’t think it was one side dominating the other. We just didn’t take advantage of our opportunities.”
To Shaw’s point, the game remained scoreless until 11 minutes to go in the first half when Meadville finally got on the board. The Bulldogs’ Addie Phillis capitalized on a loose ball in the crease and put it past Bradford goaltender Mackenzie Lucas, who had no chance on the play.
Still, with the score just 1-0 at the half, Shaw felt pretty good about the way his team was playing on the defensive end.
“I think they did well when they played high (defensively),” Shaw said. “When they played high and held our line we played really well. You could see when we sagged, that’s when we got in trouble. So when we play compact on the defensive end and we play high, we’re good. You could definitely see that.”
However, eight minutes into the second half, Phillis scored her second goal of the game for the Bulldogs off corner kick. Phillis and a teammate nearly collided trying to get a head on it, but the Meadville junior found the ball and angled it past Lucas and the Bradford defense.
After that — against a team as strong defensively as Meadville — coming back from two goals down was just simply out of reach.
The Bulldogs (9-5) have allowed just seven goals in their nine wins this season, with six shutouts.
“It’s just work ethic and you just have to go at it,” he said of some close losses to large schools over the past few weeks. “They have a confidence that they can win it’s just a matter of sometimes it ebbs and flows. I think we’ve played so many big schools that we are used to it, it’s just that we are not there. We are not a 4A school, and we don’t graduate 700 kids. But for what they did tonight I thought they played a really good game, I really did.”
Shaw highlighted the play of his defenders and midfielders on Thursday, particularly Victoria Coppella, Emily Bosworth and Abby Nuzzo, who helped thwart a potent Meadville offense. For as well as the Bulldogs’ defense has played this year, their offense has been just as successful. The Bulldogs averaged six goals per contest coming into the game, but came nowhere close to their usual barrage of chances against the Owls on Thursday.
“Victoria was all over the place getting her butt kicked and dishing out punishment. That was probably the best game I’ve seen her play,” Shaw said. “Abby earned herself playing time with probably the best game we’ve seen from her as well.
Nuzzo is just one of those underclassmen that have been getting opportunities for Shaw and the Lady Owls this season. Despite some expected growing pains, those girls have been vital in Bradford’s success so far.
“Everybody has a chance to play in this program if they earn it; that’s been a constant theme for us the entire time, Shaw said. “That’s why Nuzzo started the second half because she earned the right as a freshman out there competing to get the start in the second half.”
“The freshmen went through a little bit of a period where they were struggling and now they are coming out on the other side,” he said. “I think for our program this year — which is what I focus on — they are going to add a lot for us when we get ready to go to districts. And that is our focus right now.”
Bradford has four regular season games remaining, beginning with a trip to Warren on Monday.
