HARTFORD CITY – Opening its Sectional 38 play at Blackford High School against Maconaquah Tuesday, the Manchester girls soccer team didn't have much of a problem. Outshooting the Maconaquah Lady Braves 40-2, the Manchester Lady Squires were in total control, winning 7-0 and advancing to Thursday's 7 p.m. semifinal against Eastbrook. “I wanted them to focus on the fundamentals,” Manchester coach Jacqui Erny said. “With this much pressure when it comes time for sectionals, you just forget about crisp passes and communicating. So that's what we really focused on and honed in on in the second half.” Early on, it was evident Manchester had more skill, but the ball didn't get into the net until freshman Brooklyn Howard scored, following passes from senior Hayleigh Collett and senior Claire McLaughlin with 29:04 left in the half. “In the first game of sectionals, I think you either come out real hard or you're just in the shock of being in the postseason,” Erny said. “I think we came out with that shock. I don't know if it was laziness or what, but we took a while to get going.” It took another 25 minutes for the Lady Squires to get their next goal, which was scored by sophomore Katelyn Andritsch at the 5:55 mark off an assist from Collett, while Andritsch scored agains five minutes later off an assist from junior Hanna Olk. In the second half, things really broke open as Olk netted two scores, senior Emily Haecker added one and Maconaquah scored in its own goal when a corner kick from Manchester junior Morgan McKee bounced off a Lady Braves defender's head, going into the net. “It was a team effort today,” Erny said. “I was looking for everybody to pass and for everyone to have a shot, and pretty much everybody did.” In the semifinals, Manchester will face a team that defeated Peru 8-1 in the second game Tuesday. “Eastbrook was the one I was worried about, as well Blackford, but they lost (Monday to Oak Hill),” Erny said. “I'm confident that it will be a good game.” At the seven-team sectional, the 9-6-1 Lady Squires defeated four of the possible six teams in the regular season and lost to just one, that being a 5-2 setback at Eastbrook on Sept. 17 in Marion. In their second matchup, in which the winner will advance to Saturday's 7 p.m. championship game, Erny believes her team will have a different look. “Earlier in the season we were running a different style of defense, but we've changed to a different one, which seems to be working better for us,” she said. “So, I hope, defensively, we won't break down like we did before.”
MANCHESTER 7, MACONAQUAH 0 (Sectional 38, 1st Rd) Man – Brooklyn Howard (Claire McLaughlin, Hayleigh Collett) 11th min. Man – Katelyn Andritsch (Collett) 35th min. Man – Andritsch (Hanna Olk) 40th min. Man – Olk (Howard) 47th min. Man – Own Goal 53rd min. Man – Olk 56th min. Man – Emily Haecker (McLaughlin) 68th min. Shots – Manchester 40, Maconaquah 2; Shots on Goal – Manchester 23, Maconaquah 2; Saves - Manchester (Kiersten Staley) 2, Maconaquah (Erin Ortel) 18; Fouls (Offsides) – Manchester 5 (2), Maconaquah 7 (3); Corner Kicks – Manchester 7, Maconaquah 0 Manchester Record: 9-6-1
