Calvary, Bishop Walsh advance to MDCC girls soccer semifinals
CRESAPTOWN — Short-handed Calvary Christian rode a hat trick by Reagan Weeks to a 4-1 victory over Grace Academy in the Mason Dixon Christian Conference playoffs Monday. Calvary, seeded third in the tournament with a 7-5 regular-season record, played the entire match one player short with only 10 players on the field and no substitutes available on the bench. All 10 Calvary players remained on the field for the full 80 minutes.
The Eagles struck first when Weeks converted a penalty kick with 28:50 remaining in the first half after a handball was called inside the box. Calvary carried the slim 1-0 lead into halftime, but head coach Scott Weeks said his team needed more urgency. “The Knights came to play and they sure acted like they wanted this game more than us,” coach Weeks said.
“I told the girls this wasn’t a give-me game, and they needed to work a lot harder in the second half since we were down one player. ” Sixth-seeded Grace, up to the challenge despite a 2-10 league mark, answered shortly after halftime when Laykn Doan capitalized on a loose ball bouncing around just outside the goalie box, firing in the equalizer from the eight-yard line to tie the match at 1-1. The game remained deadlocked until the 68th minute when Reagan Weeks delivered a momentum-shifting goal from long range on the right side outside the 18-yard box.
Her shot sailed high through the air and found the back of the net just beneath the crossbar to give Calvary a 2-1 advantage. Only four minutes later, eighth grader Millie Buckingham added an insurance goal from the left side of the arch, extending the Eagles’ lead to 3-1. Weeks sealed the victory with five minutes remaining, striking a low shot from the far left side of the 18-yard box that crossed into the far-right corner of the net for her third goal of the night.
It was an opportune time for Weeks' first hat trick of the season. Calvary dominated offensively throughout the evening, outshooting Grace, 27-5, in shots on goal. Senior goalkeeper Selah Livengood had a relatively quiet night in net, recording four saves.