In what can easily be a playoff match up come October, a non-section battle of two top WPIAL Girls Class 2A teams, South Park edged past Brownsville, 1-0, to remain unbeaten and unscored upon in six matches this season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The game got off to a fast start as South Park earned an early corner and sophomore Cassondra O’Connor found junior Nora Ozimek on the back side of the 6 for the finish and the early 1-0 lead just 2 minutes and 48 seconds into the game.
Both teams would then exchange free kicks from around 25 yards.
Brownsville was the more dangerous of the two sides as heralded junior Tessa Dellarose’s free kick attempt was on frame, forcing South Park’s goal keeper junior Ali Miklos punched it away to Brownsville’s Taylor Stewart who sent the return shot over the crossbar.
South Park would make a run when Junior Maya Wertelet played a ball through to Cassondra O’Connor who took a quick one time shot just wide of the net.
Brownsville had a great look when Dellarose drew three defenders to her, then finding an attacking Gracie Stetson who sent her blast high in the waning moments of the first half.
Early in the 2nd half, as they were holding on to a 1-0 lead, South Park came close to getting another early half tally when Nora Ozimek’s shot caught the outside side netting.
Later in the second half, South Park came close again to doubling the lead, when a header attempt on the end of another corner effort hit the woodwork.
The dying moments of the match, things opened up a bit more, providing for an exciting, back-and-forth finish. Brownsville’s Gracie Stetson had a chance to get the equalizer with a free kick opportunity, but she pushed her attempt wide as the clock expired as the ended in favor of South Park.
With the win, South Park (6-0) stays undefeated while Brownsville falls to an overall record of 4-2-0.
ED’S POSTMATCH TAKEAWAY
South Park had a game plan in place to deal the UNC Chapel Hill commit Tessa Dellarose. Junior Lauren Ippolito used her speed to keep pace on the runs with Dellarose and used multiple defenders at a time to mark her. This is a sight Dellarose is getting used to seeing.