NEW PALESTINE — Carly Means scored the first hat trick of her career and Greenfield-Central’s girls soccer team advanced to the sectional championship match for the second straight year with a 5-0 victory over Shelbyville (5-11-1) in a Class 3A Sectional 12 semifinal at New Palestine High School Thursday.
Means, a senior, scored three second-half goals, all assisted by junior Paige McCarley, who had the Cougars’ lone first-half goal.
“I think it was just the communication,” Means said of her connection with McCarley. “We had the looks early on too but we talked at halftime that we needed to communicate more and I think we did that in the second half.”
Just 2:49 into the match, McCarley moved quickly and unguarded through the Golden Bears defense and found the back of the net for a 1-0 lead.
Greenfield-Central had beaten Shelbyville 5-0 in a Sept. 25 regular-season match, and with the early goal from McCarley, it appeared the onslaught was on, but the Golden Bears kept it close in the first 40 minutes.
Though there were ample opportunities, McCarley’s goal was the lone first-half tally.
Just three minutes after the McCarley goal, Greenfield-Central senior Chloe Gardner had an attempt go just wide right. Sophomore Ainsley Robinson had a strong attempt in the 12th minute that was saved by Shelbyville goalkeeper Lucille Haacker. Frosh Aubrey Bush had a breakaway attempt also saved by Haacker. Senior Tessa Joyner had a strong try on a free kick that sailed just over the goal. And, late in the half, freshman Kinley Smith had a header go wide off a corner kick from McCarley.
“We didn’t really want to change what we were doing.” Greenfield-Central coach Brandon Steeno said of his team holding a slim 1-0 halftime lead. “We just had to clean it up. We had a lot of opportunities early in the first half and finished one of them. I think we fell in love with the easy ball. We just got them to refocus, especially in the middle of the field, and the girls played really well in the second half.”
After scoring early in the first half, the Cougars scored early and often in the second.
Means scored twice in the first six minutes of the half. She nearly had her hat trick early. In between her two early goals, she had a redirect that was saved by Haacker.
Her goals came in the 44th and 46th minutes to give Greenfield-Central a 3-0 lead.
Steeno added that a third party was crucial in the McCarley-Means connections.
“They did (have a good connection),” Steeno added. “Three of the four [second half] goals started from [senior] Loren Bewley. Loren’s play in the defensive center-midfield was amazing and it springs that quick offense and Paige and Carley were able to capitalize on those opportunities.”
With 9:49 remaining, Greenfield-Central made it 4-0. Off a rebound, Liv Ferrara, another senior, scored her first varsity goal. Just 37 seconds later, it was McCarley to Means for the fifth Cougar goal of the night.
“It was just sticking to the basics, making sure we get the basics right. Staying home, being able to play as a team to help us get forward, I think we did that,” McCarley said of being able to break the game open in the second half. “We were able to clean things up in the second half and keep the ball more.
“We had the looks in the first half, it was just not finishing those opportunities.”
The win puts Greenfield-Central (6-9) in the championship game against No. 12 East Central (15-2-1), a 2-0 winner over host New Palestine in the second semifinal game Thursday.
The Trojans beat the Cougars 4-0 in last year’s title game in Shelbyville. It was a one-goal game until the final few minutes.
Saturday’s match starts at 2 p.m.
