Second-Half Surge Sends Middletown South Past Lady Rebels

After coming out flying in the first half, largely out possessing the Eagles of Middletown South, the Lady Rebels surrendered three second-half goals in their season-opening contest Thursday.

After building up a 2-1 lead at the break, it was a tale of two halves for Howell. “We were really good possessing the ball in the first half,” said Howell head coach Courtney Krol, “In the second half we ended up kicking the ball around, not finding feet like we should have.”

The Lady Rebels survived an early defensive breakdown in the first half that saw South take a 1-0 lead. The visitors controlled a loose ball through the midfield as a well placed pass sent an Eagle in on a breakaway that they were able to capitalize on. The Rebels quickly managed to turn things around.

Howell kept pressure on the Eagles which eventually resulted in two goals in a span of five minutes. Deanna Columbia tapped in a goal off one of the Lady Rebels seven first half corner kicks in the 20th minute. The ball bounced off the goalkeeper and off the post before it landed in front of Columbia. The goal came seconds after Columbia got a shot off that hit the post and went out of play after being blocked by the keeper from Middletown South, earning the Rebels a corner kick.

“She definitely is a sparkplug for us,” said Krol, of Columbia, “She came off the bench and was very quick up top getting us started.”

Five minutes later, Howell held their first lead of the season after Tori Gersteaker made the most of a broken play. Gersteaker was controlling the ball in the corner looking for an outlet under heavy pressure. Quickly, she managed to turn away from a defender, giving her just enough time and space to slip a ball from the right sideline under the cross bar and just over the outstretched hands of the Eagles keeper.

The Rebels had no way of knowing that was the last goal they would score in the game.

The Eagles would go on to outshoot the Rebels 13-7 in the game and 8-1 in the second half – along with South having the second half edge in corners 4-1 after the Rebels dominated the first half with a 7-0 margin.

Howell goalkeeper Chelsea James played aggressively all game, coming off her line to collect loose balls before they became threats – but there was nothing she could do against an Eagles penalty kick to give South a 3-2 lead, midway through the second half. After ten minutes of back and forth play to open the half, Howell found themselves on their heels. To tie the game, the Eagles scored eleven minutes into the half after the Rebels became sloppy in their own end. Two minutes after South took the lead, they added to it when the Eagles Kate Spence converted a corner kick.

“I think we played well until the third goal,” said Krol, “Everyone’s head kind of went down at once.”

The Rebels made comeback attempts, but it was hard for them to even possess the ball.

“After the fourth goal we chased hard after the ball and it ended up hurting us. We need to be able to possess the ball to win; we did not do that so well in the second half. As a team, we need to be able to communicate with each other better.”

Howell’s next chance for redemption will come Saturday, September 10th, against the Middletown North Lions, at 10 AM, at home.