CRESAPTOWN — Possibly thrown off by Eukarya arriving to the game late and delaying the start, it took Calvary a while to find its footing.
Once the Eagles hit their stride there was no stopping them.
Arianna Shillingburg broke a 2-2 tie with a score at the 35:02 mark of the first half, and Calvary followed with three more unanswered goals to cruise past Eukarya in a 6-2 rout at Liberty Field on Tuesday.
“I thought the girls overall had a decent game tonight,” Calvary head coach Bill Scritchfield said. “We were coming off the game yesterday against Shalom (a 3-0 loss). They were a really good team.
“We were able to get back on track this game. Our touches were better. We had several different girls score, and we were able to get everybody into the game tonight, which is good.”
Calvary (4-2) was led by Bethany Carrington, who had two goals and one assist, and Allie Scritchfield, who had three assists and one goal.
Eukarya struck first when forward Heaven Corbin sprung free for a breakaway and beat the Calvary keeper to the left corner 7:40 into the first half.
Calvary answered quickly when Scritchfield connected with Carrington in the box on her fourth corner kick opportunity of the game (10:44), and Anne Baker made it 2-1 Eagles, benefitting from another Scritchfield service.
Scritchfield dominated the game from the midfield, setting up several dangerous chances with through balls during the contest.
“She was a little mad at me yesterday,” Bill Scritchfield said of his daughter. “I thought she had a rough game yesterday, so I told her, being one of the captains of this team and being a senior, I needed her to show more of a presence out there and be a leader.
“She had a much better game. Her touches with the ball and being able to control the field, having the younger girls look up to her.”
Eukarya found an equalizer thanks to a nearly identical Corbin transition score in which she took advantage of another defensive letdown.
However, the opportunity proved to be Eukarya’s final dangerous chance until the second half.
“We had two subs coming in,” Bill Scritchfield said. “That was partly my fault. I didn’t let them know, ‘You have to watch No. 3 (Corbin) every time she has the ball.’”
Calvary took the lead for good at the 35:02 mark. Kaitlyn Bender made a long run but clipped the bottom of the crossbar, and the ball spurted to Shillingburg on the weak side for a tap-in goal.
Carrington made it 4-2 just 44 seconds later thanks to a pinpoint service from Allie Scritchfield from around midfield, and Kate Caldwell muscled in the Eagles’ fifth goal of the half, assisted by Carrington, at the 39:15 mark.
Caldwell’s tally prompted a change in goalkeeper by Eukarya, which subbed in Lilly Hall. Hall allowed just one goal the rest of the way and made nine saves.
After facilitating three prior goals, Scritchfield got in on the action when a long shot went through the hands of Hall for the only score by either side of the second half.
Calvary keeper Selah Livengood notched the only other highlight after halftime.
Livengood, who had a cleansheet in Calvary’s 4-0 win over Eukarya in its opener, made a diving stop on a shot aimed at the left corner, and she came up with a second reaction save from the ground an instant later.
The sequence resulted in a celebration with her backline defenders, who were so excited they nearly pushed Livengood into the goal.
“That was good for her,” Bill Scritchfield said. “I loved seeing that. Selah loves playing the position. … She had a good game, and she’ll be their goalie next year going forward.”
Calvary’s usual keeper, Traci Michael, played as the Eagles’ sweeper, impacting the game significantly from the back — both physically clearing balls and as a vocal leader.
“She’s always telling people where they need to be, in a good way,” coach Scritchfield said. “She’s always solid. She leaves it on the field. She’s great to have out there.”
Calvary finished with a 23-7 edge in shots and 10-1 in corner kicks. Livengood made six saves.
Shalom 3, Calvary 0
CRESAPTOWN — Addison Adams scored a pair of goals to guide Shalom past Calvary on Monday.
Chloe Martin got Shalom on the board at the 32:00 mark with an assisted strike that sailed over the keeper’s reach.
Six minutes into the second half, Adams scored from within the six-yard box, which was assisted by a well-placed cross by Adria Rheam.
Shalom found its final goal at the 74:15 mark when Adams fired a close-range shot over the keeper’s hands. The strike ricocheted off the top of the cross bar and into the back of the net.
Shalom had a 23-5 advantage in shots. Calvary had a 3-2 edge in corner kicks.
Michael made 22 saves, and Shalom’s Ana Pinieski garnered three.
Calvary returns to the pitch at home against Cumberland Valley on Monday at 4:30 p.m. on Senior Night.
“Overall we’re going in the right direction now with a big conference game coming up,” Bill Scritchfield said. “We have a couple practices, and we’ll have the girls ready to go.”