Wickliffe took another step in preparing for the postseason with a 4-0 win over visiting Brooklyn on Thursday.
With the victory, the Blue Devils improved to 8-4-1 overall and 4-1-1 in the Chagrin Valley Conference Metro Division.
“We continued our progression tonight and looked good with in-sync passing and movement within the formation. Things are beginning to click at the right time of season leading into the playoffs,” said Wickliffe coach Steve Gribovicz. “This was a big win for us in the CVC, season, and playoff standings. The team stepped up to the challenge and earned the decisive victory tonight.”
Ava Gabriel, Eliza Wills, Annabella Stoehr, and Bella Behm each scored for the Blue Devils while Wills and Clare Andrykovitch both recorded assists in the win.
“Eliza Wills was able to pick up a penalty kick opportunity and convert it for our second goal. After picking up the two-goal lead, we began to play more freely and were able to dictate the tempo of the game,” Gribovicz said. “Ava Gabriel and Bella Behm were able to score off nice assisted passes by Eliza Wills and Clare Andrykovitch. Annabella Stoehr had an excellent penetration dribble through the defense and was able to capitalize on her goal with incredible accuracy.”
Wickliffe’s defense pitched its fourth consecutive shutout and sixth of the season.
Cade Virgilio recorded one save for the Blue Devils while her counterpart at Brooklyn, Jillian Treska, finished with nine saves.
“Our defense communicated and rotated well to keep their attackers under constant pressure and forced quick decisions to be made regularly,” Gribovicz said. “Cade Virgilio and our team defense were able to secure their fourth consecutive shutout with this performance.”
Wickliffe hosts Harvey on Tuesday.
