Mercy soccer always gets extra energy after a goal and the Magic has a special player that has consistently provided a boost this season.
In Wednesday’s showdown at Spalding — a rematch of last year’s Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference title game — Ava Hartman was at it again.
The junior forward scored late in the first half — a heavy left-footed shot from 25 yards — that got No. 2 Mercy on track for a 2-0 win over the defending champion and No. 7 Cavaliers.
Freshman Dakota Waide provided the insurance goal with 13 minutes left and the Magic’s defense stayed tidy with goalie Sarah Graham making six saves.
Mercy (10-1-1) moves into a first-place tie with No. 3 Maryvale Prep (7-2-1) as both teams have 4-1 IAAM A records. Spalding (5-3-4) is now 1-3-1 in conference play.
On Wednesday, the homestanding Cavaliers had the better of the play in the first half until Hartman was at her opportunistic best. Collecting an errant Spalding pass, she took a quick look to distribute, didn’t see any open teammates ahead, so unleashed a powerful left-footed strike that got over Spalding goalie Sophie Fedorchak.
“I try my hardest to get a goal early to get the energy flowing for my team and get us going for the rest of the game,” Hartman, who now has 12 goals and eight assists, said. “I just looked around and didn’t see anybody that was going to have a better chance, so I’ve had a couple goals from far out and gave it a try and it went in.”
The goal put the game on more even terms as the Magic settled in after yielding four early corner kicks to the Cavaliers. They went on to take seven in all — senior midfielder Karrington Gregory serving in ideal balls along with other dangerous free kicks. But all went for naught with Magic center backs Isabella Kennedy and Kendall Atwood providing key support for Graham.
“We just got to keep training. It’s hunger, somebody willing to sacrifice a little more. Karrington is putting amazing balls on the goal frame and we just can’t find a way to put the ball in the back of the net,” Spalding coach Ashly Kennedy said.
Midway through the second half, Hartman hit another clean strike from 20 yards that banged off the crossbar and then Fedorchak made a point-bank save on the rebound try by Paz Galiani.
Waide’s sensational goal followed minutes later to help secure the win. Aubrey O’Connell found space down the left side and sent a cross in to the near post that Waide ran on to and redirected in on a volley.
Mercy coach Tom Durkin said that’s been the biggest difference this season. In addition to Hartman’s contributions to the offense, O’Connell has eight goals and three assists and Waide’s goal, her fourth of the season, was the 11th scored by a freshman.
“We know teams are going to key on Ava and she can still create her chances. And the big thing now is she has eight assists this season because we have so much help around her. It allows us to really go at teams,” Durkin said. “It’s tough winning on the road in this league and [Spalding] is a really tough place to play. We weathered the storm, got the goal and found the game from there. In the second half, we talked about just keep working, keep working and were rewarded with just a classic goal.”
Both teams return to conference play on Friday with Spalding visiting Maryvale Prep at 4 p.m. and Mercy hosting McDonogh at 6 p.m.
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Goals: M — Hartman, Waide
Assists: M — O’Connell
Saves: M — Graham 6; S — Fedorchak 2, Matthews 2
Half: M, 1-0
