Mansfield Girls' Soccer falls 1-0 to Canton

The Mansfield High School girls’ soccer team lost 1-0 to the Canton High School Bulldogs Friday.

The Bulldogs took control early, taking several shots in the first fifteen minutes against the stand up Hornets defense.

“The defense has been there for us all year, it's putting the ball in the net that has been our problem," said Mansfield head coach Kevin Smith, whose team has scored just four goals in five games this season.

The Bulldogs, however, managed to put one in the net when junior captain Lauren Berman scored on a wide shot against Mansfield goaltender Kelly English. A beautiful pass from junior Brianna Duserick set up the goal for the Bulldogs, giving them the early lead that would hold throughout the contest.

 “We’re lucky to have her, she’s a talented player who has already made her college commitment to one of the top programs in the country,” Canton head coach Paul Turner said about his junior captain. "You want to have your team look good when they get a win, but Mansfield is so physical and such a tough opponent, we had to roll up our sleeves and play ugly soccer in order to get this win. Meg Lennon was unbelievable for us tonight in that effort."

Mansfield’s best chance to tie came in the 31st minute of the second half when the Hornets had a three-on-one opportunity before a shot sailed just left of the goalpost.

“Hard to be disappointed with the effort we gave on the field tonight," Smith said. "They're a tough team and in the second half. it was a battle, two teams. who did not want to lose this game.”

With the win Canton remained undefeated and moved to 4-0 on the season, while Mansfield fell to 1-2-2.