By PAUL GOTHAM
WATERLOO, N.Y. — Maya Ikewood recorded her second hat trick of the season. Emma Robinson added a pair of goals, and the Palmyra-Macedon girls’ soccer team (No. 4 NYSSWA Class B) breezed to a 5-0 win over host Waterloo in Finger Lakes East action Wednesday night at Tom Coughlin Stadium.
Leading 1-nil at halftime, the duo combined to find back of the net four times in a six-minute span early in the second half.
“This is the third team that we’ve played in just over a week that has packed it in and given us the outside,” Pal-Mac head coach Mike Karns said. “We’re built on going up the gut. That’s where our strength is. We’ve been talking over and over about using the wide players and then getting it back into the middle. We did it pretty well in the second half.”
Robinson converted a free kick from 35 yards out with 28:55 remaining in regulation. Two minutes later, Ikewood took a combination from Taryn Goodness, beat a pair of defenders and finished far post from the left side of the 18-yard box.
Ikewood made it a 4-0 game with 24:59 left in the game, and Robinson put an exclamation point on the effort when the junior forward received a pass from Molly Seither 35 yards away, turned and fit a shot under the crossbar.
28:55 remaining: Emma Robinson connects from 35 yards out for a 2-0 Pal-Mac lead. pic.twitter.com/LGl16XRrrZ
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) September 29, 2021
“Typically, your studs are in the center of the pitch,” Karns added. “We have great wide players. They finally started looking past 10 yards. Play the 40-yard ball out to the wide player. Get her 1v1, let her put it in the box. It makes a big difference.”
26:55 remaining: Maya Ikewood goes opposite post. Pal-Mac 3-0. pic.twitter.com/yZLCJXY00R
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) September 29, 2021
Ikewood gave Pal-Mac a lead in the first half when she redirected a pass from teammate Reagan Diehl.
“Maya’s played at such a high level outside of this,” Karns said referring to Ikewood’s experience with the WNY Flash Academy. “She gets it.”
5:44 remaining in the first half: side-to-side movement before quick touch from Reagan Diehl to Maya Ikewood and a 1-0 @palmacsports lead. pic.twitter.com/gxJVJzKEej
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) September 29, 2021
Ikewood leads the Pal-Mac offense with 13 goals and nine assists on the season. Robinson has 11 goals and two assists. Seither has six and three.
“I’m lucky to have those kids on my team. They’re great. It makes my job so easy. Tell them one thing and they run with it.”
The shutout was the eighth straight for Pal-Mac (10-0-0) which has outscored opponents 30-0 during that stretch. The Red Raiders have not allowed a goal since September 3rd.
Waterloo (6-3-3) came into the contest winners of four of five games. The Indians had outscored opponents by combined total of 12-7 during those recent contests.
Pal-Mac didn’t so much as deny Waterloo a chance to score as the Red Raiders suffocated their opponent. The Pal-Mac defense started whenever and wherever Waterloo took possession of the ball. It could have been 80, 70 or 60 yards from their goal, the Red Raiders were going to pressure opposing ballhandlers.
Pal-Mac keeper Clare Boesel spent the bulk of her night giving encouragement and direction from afar.
“It’s a mentality thing,” Karns said of his team’s defense. “We talk about it all the time. Win every ball. Obviously, we didn’t want to let them out of their half, so there’s no pressure on our backs. Win the ball, find feet and let’s go on the attack. When the ball’s at your feet, you don’t have to play defense.”
Jenna Santelli assisted on Ikewood’s third goal of the night.
Pal-Mac hosts Aquinas for a 4 p.m. start on Saturday. Waterloo travels to Penn Yan on Thursday for a 6:30 p.m. kickoff.
Maya Ikewood is my granddaughter and we are so proud of her. Thank you for the nice article. What paper do you print this in?