Wickliffe went on a late first-half scoring spree to pull away from visiting Edgewood in an 8-0 victory on Tuesday.
Five different Blue Devils scored in the win.
“The team played within themselves and controlled the pace of the game,” said Wickliffe coach Steve Gribovicz. “They were patient and possessed the ball, choosing to attack when and how the situation presented itself.”
That situation presented itself late in the first half with the score tied 0-0.
Eliza Wills, Leah Skufca, and Ava Gabriel each scored during a five-minute span late in the first half to give the Blue Devils a 3-0 advantage at the break.
Wickliffe added five more goals in the second half.
“There was a five-minute span between minutes 29-34 when the game changed,” Gribovicz said. “Up until that point, it was 0-0 and Edgewood was barricading our attack. Eliza, Leah, and Ava were able to hit a shot each from distance that opened the game up for us.”
Wills would score two more goals in the final 40 to record a hat trick. Skufca added another to secure her brace, and Lauren Smith and Emily Abramczyk also scored for Wickliffe.
Skufca added two assists and Wills finished with one.
“Our younger players stepped up today contributing both on the offensive and defensive end,” Gribovicz said. “We only had three players available off our bench, and each individual had to play a big role in the team win.”
Cade Virgilio recorded three saves and a clean sheet for the Blue Devils while Edgewood keeper Hailey Exley notched 19 saves.
“This was a game we needed to win leading up to our (league) game against Lutheran West Thursday,” Gribovicz said. “We were able to try some different things that could have an overall impact on our team moving forward.”
Wickliffe improved to 2-1 overall.
