Casey McGhee scored a pair of goals to lead Independence to a 4-1 win over visiting Lutheran West on Tuesday in a Chagrin Valley Conference Metro Division contest.
The Blue Devils led just 1-0 at halftime.
“With a 1-0 lead at half and hitting two crossbars, the boys went into halftime a bit frustrated, but after talking it through and getting back to our game, we found a few opportunities that we could capitalize on,” Independence coach Ryan MacRaild said. “We were making better decisions with the ball and were able to free up shooters who put it into the back of the net. We made great adjustments and had the composure mentally to really put the game away.”
Brandon Patton and Aidan Coljohn also scored for the Blue Devils, who improved to 2-0-1 overall and 2-0 in league play.
For Patton, the goal was his fifth in three games. Coljohn and McGhee scored for the first time this season.
McGhee’s first came early in the second half off of a cross from Adam Liebal. Patton set up McGhee’s second shot.
“It was very exciting to score a pair of goals against a tough conference opponent,” McGhee said. “Scoring my first goals of the season gave me a lot of confidence for our upcoming games. With multiple tough conference games coming up, this win should boost our confidence as a team.”
Independence travels to Lake Ridge Academy on Thursday while Lutheran West (2-3, 1-1) travels to Kirtland.
