Boyer’s drive makes difference
Determined junior forward sets triumphant tone for Seahawks in final minutes
The South River girls soccer team had lost its two-goal advantage against visiting Broadneck on Thursday, and the Seahawks found themselves in another intense, tightly contested game against their Anne Arundel County rival.
Junior forward Lydia Boyer and the Seahawks were fine with that.
With 6:34 to play, Boyer made a strong run to the near post, and when Grace Casper’s low cross came in from the left side, she was fierce and determined.
Boyer got to the ball just before Broadneck goalie Mason Smargissi and gave herself enough space to put away the go-ahead goal in the No. 10 Seahawks’ 4-2 win over the No. 4 Bruins.
South River, which got a late insurance goal from Elizabeth Gleeson, improved to 3-0-2 and 2-0 in Anne Arundel.
The game’s most important minute had skill and gifted team play — Faith Cosgrove sent an ideal pass down the left side for Casper to run onto — and Boyer’s desire to make the difference.
“It’s always great to play Broadneck and it’s always a competitive game, and to score a goal like that in the last couple minutes of the game, it just feels great to do that for the team,” said Boyer, who has three goals this season.
The Bruins have been riddled with injuries, missing five starters, and were coming off a 5-0 loss against No.2 Archbishop Spalding on Tuesday.
When the Seahawks got a goal from Cosgrove in the game’s first minute Thursday and made it 2-0 on a goal from Kylie Lopez midway through the first half, the Bruins could have easily hung their heads.
Instead, they rallied. With 3:50 to play in the half, Annika Marquez was in front to finish off a rebound on a firm shot sent in by Molly Broadneck Payton Erbe, left, challenges South River’s Sophia Michalski-Cooper for a header in Thursday’s showdown of top 10-ranked Anne Arundel County teams. South River scored two goals in the final 6:34 to turn aside the visiting Bruins. Yeomans to make it 2-1. All-Metro senior forward Makenna Dean tied the game two minutes into the second half.
They pressed further and had the Seahawks backing up, but the home team was able to withstand the push and recover.
That Boyer provided the big goal didn’t come as a surprise to South River coach John Sis.
“Even though she’s only a junior, we expect senior leadership out of her. Obviously, we love our forwards to be able to think score first, pass second, and Lydia definitely has that mentality,” he said.
Four of the five injured players won’t be back this season, and the defending Class 4A champion Bruins (0-2-2, 0-1 league) are finding their way with reserves stepping into starting spots and other players changing positions. It’s a work in progress, but they are showing a willingness to put in the time and effort.
“We got more out of the game — the positives outweighed the negatives today,” Broadneck coach John Camm said. “But against quality teams, you have to make them earn their goals, and we’re just not doing that right now.”