MINERSVILLE — Minersville and Schuylkill Haven have one of the best girls’ soccer rivalries in the Schuylkill League, featuring plenty of tight, competitive games in recent years.
The scores have also been one-sided in favor of the Hurricanes.
Tuesday wasn’t one of those games.
Rachel Sterner scored twice, while Marlena Purcell added a goal and two assists, as the Miners captured a 5-1 Division II victory over the Hurricanes.
Tuesday’s victory was Minersville’s first over Schuylkill Haven since a 3-2, come-from-behind win in the District 11 Class A championship game in 2012. Prior to Tuesday, the Miners’ last regular-season win over Schuylkill Haven was a 1-0 win Oct. 17, 2011.
More importantly for the present, the win was the second in as many days for Minersville (4-0, 3-0 D-II) against two of the teams expected to be Division II title contenders this fall. The Miners knocked off Tri-Valley on Monday, 2-1.
“These were really important,” Sterner said of the victories. “They put us in the driver’s seat in the division. These are the games we want to win.”
There is still a long way to go, but the Miners remain in a first-place tie atop Division II with Williams Valley (3-2, 3-0) after the Vikings downed Weatherly 7-0 on Tuesday. The two won’t meet until Sept. 24.
Purcell set up both of Sterner’s goals Tuesday, as Sterner scored in the 45th and 67th minutes. Minersville jumped out to a 3-0 halftime advantage, getting an own goal in the 22nd minute, while Purcell (32nd) and Abby Schoffstall (37th) added first-half tallies.
Alyssa Gerber, who moved up to center mid from defense in the second half, had the only goal for Schuylkill Haven (2-2, 1-1) on a 35-yard direct kick in the 65th minute.
Playing in bright sunshine on back-to-back days proved to be no problem for Minersville on Tuesday. Sterner felt that the Miners used some of the mistakes made Monday — such as not communicating enough and winning 50-50 balls — and focused on them Tuesday.
“I think we kind of had an advantage,” Sterner said. “We kind of came out slow (Monday). The mistakes we made (Monday) really influenced our game play today. We used what we did wrong yesterday to help us in the game today and I think it really showed.”
Schuylkill Haven had a run at the Miners’ goal early in the game, but the next 40-50 minutes were controlled by Minersville. The Miners finished with a 9-2 advantage in shots on goal in the first half and a 16-4 advantage in the game.
“The defense played tremendous,” Sterner said. “A lot of loose balls, we just went after all of them. That is the main thing we talked about yesterday. We won all the lose balls.”
Minersville’s first goal started with a Purcell corner kick as the ball eventually found its way over to the far post. The Hurricanes were unable to clear the ball and a Schuylkill Haven defender knocked it into the net to make it 1-0.
Purcell scored from about 18 yards out, burying her shot between Schuylkill Haven keeper Abagail Mills and the far post. Schoffstall scored her 10th goal of the season late in the first half when she worked up field, made a couple of moves around a defender and got off a high shot from about 15 yards out. It was deflected by Mills and she turned around to grab the ball, but it had already went over the line.
Sterner wasted no time making it 4-0 early in the second half, getting a through ball from Purcell, taking it to the goal and scoring.
After Gerber’s direct-kick goal, Sterner put the game away, scoring off a Purcell corner kick that was sent to the far post and headed in by Sterner.
“Marlena puts them right there. It’s about time we put them in for her,” Sterner said.
Schuylkill Haven played better in the second half. In addition to Gerber’s goal, the Hurricanes had a couple of other chances late but couldn’t cash in.
“There were just faster than us,” Schuylkill Haven coach Chris Evitts said. “They were winning every ball, pretty much. It seemed like we were afraid of contact. All the punts, goal kicks, they were jumping in on us. That had a lot to do with it.
“It wasn’t until late it the second half when we made the change, moving Gerber into the middle, that things started to change a little bit.”
Game Summary
Sch. Haven (2-2, 1-1) 0 1 — 1
Minersville (4-0, 3-0) 3 2 — 5
Min — Own goal, 21:19
Min — Purcell (unasssisted), 31:43
Min — Schoffstall (unassisted), 36:34
Min — Sterner (Purcell), 44:43
SH — Gerber (direct kick), 64:15
Min — Sterner (Purcell), 66:32
Shots on goal: Schuylkill Haven 4, Minersville 16. Corner kicks: Schuylkill Haven 2, Minersville 6. Saves: Schuylkill Haven (Mills 8, Leymeister 3) 11, Minersville (Wigoda) 3