Girls Soccer: JV Takes Rubber Match Over Albany

The Piedmont High School girls' junior varsity soccer team faced off against the Albany Cougars in a Feb. 1 game that had all the hallmarks of a grudge match.

The perennial rivals had split two hard-fought games earlier in the season, with Albany edging Piedmont 1-0 on Dec. 7 and Piedmont taking the Jan. 13 game 3-1. The Cougars welcomed the Highlanders to Albany Feb. 1 wearing "Beat Piedmont" T-shirts.

The Highlanders came out with great emotion and energy, scoring the only goal of the contest just 10 minutes in. Forward Allison Parker drove the ball into the right corner, where Marie Knechtli was waiting in the perfect position to send a crossing shot into the net.

The Cougars wasted no time firing back, threatening to even the score at the 14th minute, but keeper Martie Ogle pushed the ball wide with an athletic diving deflection.

To start the second half, Natalie Kuchirek came off the sick list to defend the net, allowing Ogle to play forward. Ogle, Julia Swenson, Claire Kingston, Emma Altieri and Stella Sy continued to put pressure on the Cougars with seven more shots on goal. One thrilling header from Sy just missed right of the post off a corner from Swenson. 

Albany also kept up their attack, racking up four shots on goal, three corner kicks and two penalty kicks inside the twenty-yard line. But the stout defensive line of Marina Kong, Lucy Skugstad, Sophia MacCracken, Katie Milne and Amy Dong turned a 1-0 Piedmont lead into a victory. 

And with that the Highlanders finished their season–which was truncated by cancellations by Salesian, Kennedy, and St. Mary's–with a resounding 7-2 record.

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Sam Dong contributed this write-up. Piedmont Patch will publish game results whenever they are available. Coaches, managers, and parents affiliated with any Piedmont team are encouraged to e-mail game stats, summaries and photos to Editor Amy Jeffries at amy@patch.com.