No. 1 seed Credo defeats No. 2 seed Middletown for Division 2 crown
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ROHNERT PARK >> The rain held off Wednesday night, but the Middletown Mustangs fell 3-0 to the Credo Gryphon in the North Coast Section Division 2 girls soccer championship game at Sunrise Park in Rohnert Park.
In a battle of the top two seeds, No. 1 Credo (14-7-1) built a 3-0 lead while winning the first girls soccer championship in school history. Middletown’s Autumn Clark broke up the shutout late in the second half, but that was all the Mustangs (12-9-1) would get against a tough Gryphon defense.
“We had several positives from the game, but it was not performance level we know we can play at,” said Middletown’s Lee Hoage in his final game as the Mustangs’ head coach. “Our team had an incredible season. I am so proud of their development as individual players and as a team. They were awesome to coach, and they should be proud of what they have accomplished.”
Credo scored from the top of the box in the first half to go up 1-0.
“We gave her a little too much time and space to get a shot off,” Hoage said of Credo’s goal scorer.
The Gyphon pushed that advantage to 2-0 later in the first half.
“They scored again by cutting behind us and getting another shot on our keeper that found the back of the net,” Hoage said.
Middletown’s offense had its opportunities in the first half but couldn’t convert, according to Hoage.
“We had some nice runs and chances to score, but we could not finish,” Hoage said. “Some shots went to the keeper and some were off target. They closed quick on our shot windows.”
Middletown adjusted its lineup at halftime in an attempt to kick-start the offense.
“We moved Ally Cherry up from stopper to midfield so she could play up in the center, just off the striker line,” Hoage said. “This helped us in the second half create runs and attacks on their defense.”
Credo moved out to a 3-0 deal in the second half.
“Their third goal was a nice transition goal that caught us forward,” Hoage said. “We were trying to pressure their defense and get a goal when they countered us and had numbers on us. It was a nice cross and finish.”
Clark’s goal finally ended the shutout.
“She did a nice job to set herself up for a solid shot (from the top of the box),” Hoage said. “She fought hard all night to get through the back line and to find her shot spaces. She had several outside runs with the ball that ended up with shots on crosses. We had a few close chances with corners and direct kicks. Unfortunately, we could not finish on those.”
It was the third meeting this season between the two teams and Credo’s second win. The Gryphon shut out Middletown 2-0 on Aug. 22 in Rohnert Park, the first game for both teams this season, and the two teams tied 1-1 a few weeks later, again in Rohnert Park.
“This was a tough match for us,” Hoage said. “Credo moved the ball fluidly all night up the field. They were finding space, overlapping and using support drops all night. Their give and goes were consistent and we could not anticipate or intercept their possession sequences enough.”
Added Hoage, “We were a little sluggish and lost some energy in the second half. Our speed and pace dropped some and our passing sequences were not as connected. We also had some difficulty marking, in transition and in our goal area. In the end, we played a team that was very in sync the entire game. They moved the ball well, switched fields and found each other.”
Hoage gave high marks to the play of a handful of his players.
“Senior Sophie Yebra had a strong defensive game and played hard,” Hoage said. “Autumn Clark and Ally Cherry had some nice plays in the game for us. Trinity Wood had a few closing moments for us as well. Bella Alcantar worked hard to get into the scoring zone.”
Looking back on his final year with the Mustangs, Hoage said, “They put together many beautiful games this season. They were resilient and stayed unified despite several challenges like injuries. I will never forget this season, this team, their spirt and the marks they made.”
