Behind Weaver's outstanding play, Lancaster pulls out 1-0 win over Falcons

Tom Wilson
Lancaster Eagle Gazette

LANCASTER - Lancaster goalkeeper Kayla Weaver had the game of her life Friday night and it couldn’t have come at a better time.

Facing rival Fairfield Union in the first game on the new turf at Fulton Field, Weaver had several key stops to keep the Falcons at bay in a thrilling 1-0 nonconference win.

After a scoreless first half, the Golden Gales were finally able to get on the board at the 32-minute mark when sophomore Josselyn Jewell came out of a scrum and knocked one in past Fairfield Union goalkeeper Hannah Burnside, who also had a stellar game.

It was a big win for the Gales, who lost 5-1 last season to the Falcons.

“It was a great win, especially with the atmosphere that we had playing on the turf for the first time,” Lancaster coach Brian Griffin said. “Having all the parents, students and band supporting us, it felt great.”

Weaver said as the game went along in the second half, she caught herself glancing at the clock with the Gales nursing their 1-0 lead.

“My adrenaline was definitely pumping, especially in the second half,” Weaver said. “It was us against the clock for a long time and it was nerve-wracking. We played great as a team and we’ve worked really hard in the offseason and that payed off.

“A win like this gives us confidence and lets us know that we are getting better, especially since they beat us so bad last year. This was a big win and the atmosphere was great.”

It looked for a long time that neither team would score until Jewell was able to send one home.

“They had a foul called just outside the box, so I told our players to basically run it as a corner and (Jewell) came screaming in, got in the mix of the scrum and edged it in,” Griffin said. “it’s always great to get a win against a cross-town rival. We are coming off a tough loss to them last year, so it feels good for all of us.”

Fairfield Union coach Casey Bischof said the Falcons had their chances but gave the Gales’ credit for their outstanding defense.

“They did a really good job frustrating us,” Bischof said. “We had some chances, but they played defense very well. Some things we have done well in the preseason we struggled with, especially with their pressure. We forced some shots that we normally don’t do, but their goalkeeper and their defense did a great job.”

The Falcons, who have been ultra-successful the last several years, including winning a Mid-State League title and district title, lost several four-year starters. Bischof said it might take a little bit of time to get everyone on the same page.

“We need to communicate a little better,” Bischof said. “We graduated five starters from last year and four or five them were four-year starters, so we have a new group of girls. I think the biggest thing is just trusting one another and if we do that I think we will have a positive season.

“Scheduling a big school like Lancaster is only going to make us better. We want to go against the best and Lancaster has a great coaching staff and a great team.  We schedule our nonconference games to make it as competitive as possible.”

twilson@lancastereaglegazette.com

740-681-4358

Twitter: @twil2323