Post-Gazette News, September 10, 2024
“It was a really gutsy performance.”
Fox Chapel (5-0, 4-0) head coach Carlo Prati knew his girls soccer team had a tough task ahead of them on Monday night, going into Mars High School and facing off with a decorated opponent.
But, despite the tall task, he was glad his team got a tough test early in the season.
“We were looking forward to the test tonight. We were coming off some high-scoring games that the starters didn’t get much time in,” Prati said. “We haven’t played Mars in a while. We knew they were going to be pretty good, and they are always lights out at home. We were testing the water. I thought it was a really good game. It could’ve gone either way.”
It ended up going Fox Chapel’s way, as the Foxes claimed a 1-0 victory on the road in Class 3A Section 1 competition. Sophomore Emily McKee scored the game-winning goal in the second half.
The play began with a long, 25-yard shot from Cassie Classen, who saw her shot deflected off the crossbar. McKee was at the right place, tapping in the rebound.
Kicking off second-half play, Prati noticed weaknesses from Mars (5-1, 2-1) that his side could capitalize on.
“We noticed toward the end of the first half that they looked a little gassed,” he said. “We knew we had to run them, and we needed to make sure we weren’t getting beat over the back. They had a few dangerous moments.”