WOMEN’S SOCCER

It was a storybook senior day at King Stadium Saturday afternoon as the Huntington women’s soccer team topped Bethel 2-1 in Crossroads League play.

The Foresters (7-7, 2-5 CL) struck early in fitting fashion when two seniors combined for the opening goal. Just under seven minutes in, Ellie Cirrincione served a perfect corner kick into the box where Paige Brown rose above the Pilot defense to head it home and give HU an early 1-0 advantage.

Huntington doubled its lead early in the second half thanks to Sophie Shepherd, who turned a Bethel attack into a Forester highlight reel. After an HU clear, Shepherd chased down the loose ball near midfield, outsprinted two Pilot defenders, and rifled a left-side bullet into the upper 90 to put her team up 2-0 in the 49th minute.

Bethel (9-5-1, 3-4) cut the deficit in half with a goal in the 85th minute but couldn’t find the equalizer despite sustained pressure down the stretch. The Foresters’ back line and goalkeeper tandem of Macie Sanders and Tara Robinson held firm to preserve the win.

“This was a fantastic senior day any player could’ve asked for! The energy was high and the team executed the game plan to the detail,” said Coach Keaton Albert. “We had many role players today too and they performed with vigor and positivity. This team -is so inspirational; I am so proud of them and especially the leadership from the senior group today.”

With the victory, HU has now won back-to-back matches and moves into a tie for sixth in the league standings heading into the final week and a half of the regular season. The Foresters are back at King Stadium on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. to host Taylor.