McDonogh School tops Cardinal girls under the lights Friday

Shaefer Cabaniss (23) shadows Bridgette Andrzejewski (10) in action Friday at Witter Drive Field #2.

McDonogh School of Owings Mills, Maryland, came into Friday night’s game with Bishop Ireton undefeated and nationally ranked in the top ten of high school girls soccer. They played up to their billing with a 7-1 win under the lights at Witter Drive Field in Alexandria.

Coach Gino Leon, credited the visitors’ performance, and his team’s, after the game. “They were so big, strong, fast, and athletic. We played well, we had some chances and stood in there with them. But (Bridgette) Andrzejewski was just on another level.”

The game, played before a big crowd on a picture perfect evening in Alexandria, started fast and furious. McDonogh’s Kia Rankin scored the game’s first goal in only the third minute of play to take a 1-0 lead. Ireton, however, counterattacked immediately and swiftly. Junior Lilly Weber made a picture perfect crossing pass in the box from far on the left directly to the foot of Rebecca Mueller and the speedy junior buried her first shot of the game in the back of the net 23 seconds after the opening goal to tie the game at 1-1.

From there, however, it began to look like the Bridgette Andrzejewski show. The UNC-bound junior member of the US U-19 national squad showed why she earned the berth, scoring the game’s next two goals. “We defended her perfectly and she still managed to score.” marvelled the Ireton head coach.

Junior midfielder Danni Steigerwald would make it 4-1 off a corner kick in the game’s 32nd minute of play and Rankin earned her second goal of the contest with 6:27 remaining to push the margin to 5-1 at intermission.

There was no quit in the Cardinals in the physical second half and the home team created chances but McDonogh junior keeper, Lindsey Clark, kept Bishop Ireton off the scoreboard in the game’s final half. Likewise, McDonogh kept the pressure on throughout the contest but Ireton’s Amy Krotine turned away shot after shot.

Andrzejewski added her third tally of the game in the 52nd minute of play and sophomore Jenna Soriano ended the scoring with 6:32 left in the contest.

“We played well against clearly the best team we will see all season. We will be alright, we didn’t back down, we didn’t drop our heads, we will learn from this and get better.” commented Leon. “It was a great night, great atmosphere and crowd.”

The Cardinals (3-3, 0-0) open conference play on Tuesday when the Roadrunners of Elizabeth Seton visit Witter Drive Fields at 4pm.