Stanton Blows By Paxon, Advances to Gateway Semis
FABRIZIO GOWDY | JAN. 12, 2021 | SPORTS
Stanton College Prep girls soccer trounced the Paxon School for Advanced Studies Eagles 7-0 at home Tuesday.
Stanton had the edge early, mounting an effective passing game and increasingly controlling the ball as the first half progressed. Stanton very nearly got on the board when a shot by freshman forward Courtney Brown hit the crossbar.
The Blue Devils would not be denied a goal for long, however. On an ensuing Stanton corner, senior mid Alyssa Katsaras's ball deflected off a group of players packed into the box and into the goal. That 17th minute goal was very quickly followed up in the 18th minute with a goal by freshman forward Emma Griner.
The Blue Devils doubled their lead in a second offensive burst late in the first half. In the 35th minute, senior mid Julia Granert found the net from the right side of the box. Hardly a minute later, Stanton's Victoria Quintero scored, giving the Blue Devils a 4-0 lead.
Stanton's explosive first half offensively wasn't finished. In the 38th minute, a beautiful Alyssa Katsaras shot from 40 yards out hung in the air before coming down in the box. Freshman Paxon keeper Valentia Goodloe couldn't secure the ball, allowing freshman forward Kimberly Norton to punch in the follow-up goal.
Despite their five-goal lead at the half, the Blue Devils didn’t take their foot off the gas. Senior back Emma Robbins notched a goal from the edge of the box in the 47th minute. Twelve minutes later, Victoria Quintero got her second goal of the night, this one coming from inside the box after the ball was bounced around.
The Eagles’ lone goal of the night game in the 70th minute on the foot of Paxon’s Mya Greer. Senior Stanton keeper Jaylen Tucker saved a late Paxon penalty to preserve the 7-1 score.
The Blue Devils (4-3-3) advance to the semis, where they will play the winner of Atlantic Coast-Wolfson at Losco Regional Park Wednesday night. The Eagles (5-8-3) are eliminated and turn their attention to districts.