Valleroy scores twice in Crusaders' 3-1 win over Central

Brooke Valleroy waited two years for a girls soccer program to form at Saxony Lutheran High School.

A 55-minute rain delay during Friday's game against Central was a piece of cake for the junior forward.

At least she made it look that way.

Valleroy broke a deadlock just two minutes after second-half play was resumed and added an insurance goal 15 minutes later as Saxony Lutheran won 3-1 on its home field.

Both of the goals came on feeds from freshman midfielder Lauren Hecht as the Crusaders evened their record at 9-9.

Central's Brooke Evans tries to clear a ball against Saxony Lutheran during their game Friday. (LAURA SIMON)

"We're having a really good season," Valleroy said. "It's very exciting, I'm on the first girls soccer team at Saxony and we'll go down in history."

While girls soccer is new at Saxony, Valleroy is a seasoned three-year veteran. She been banging shin guards with the boys for the last two years as a member of the boys JV team after playing soccer throughout her youth. She enrolled at Saxony despite the fact that a girls soccer program was not on the horizon.

"I didn't know that they were going to have a girls soccer team," Valleroy said. "I knew I wanted to keep on playing soccer, so I went for the boys. But once I found out the girls would be playing soccer, I was pretty excited to be back with the girls."

Crusaders senior Katie Winter also played on the boys JV team two years ago, but Valleroy was the only girl on the JV team last year.

Her two years of playing with boys has given the 5-foot-3 Valleroy an aggressive style, which was evident on her second goal. She charged a long, line-drive free kick angled just behind the defensive line and headed it past Central goalkeeper Cali Knepp.

Saxony Lutheran's Rachel Stueve tries to get a foot on the ball during Friday's game.

"The guys toughened me up, I guess," Valleroy said. "You can't be shy with them. You have to be all out."

Saxony coach Ryan Schweain has become accustomed to those type of aggressive plays from Valleroy.

"She plays tough, she had to against the boys, and I think it's showed this year," Schweain said.

The teams traded first-half goals in their first-ever meeting, with Central striking first. Alyssa Gutwein deposited a cross from Megan Daly about 15 minutes into the contest.

Saxony freshman Kristy Winter knotted the game 10 minutes later, and the teams entered halftime tied 1-1.

Central (2-14) controlled play the first 10 minutes of the second half, but the game was halted when the skies darkened and a flash of lightning was spotted by the officials. Both teams headed inside Saxony Lutheran High School and waited out a 30-minute thunderstorm.

"When you have a break like that, it just ruins your momentum," Central coach Elizabeth Fleer said. "You're starting the game all over again, and sometimes you're not focusing on what you should be doing."

Play resumed with a Saxony corner kick, and the ball remained on the Tigers' end. When Central had trouble with a clearing attempt, Hecht took possession on the left side and sent a dangerous pass into the middle. Valleroy kicked the ball into the lower right side of the net from about 10 yards out.

Despite playing into a stiff wind that picked up after the storm, Saxony struck again when Hecht sent her free kick from the left side into the middle. Valleroy flashed behind the defense and headed in the ball from about 10 yards out.

"I was looking for that because I know her kicks," Valleroy said. "You have to know your teammates and how they kick and just have to be there."

With the wind to its back, Central kept the ball in Saxony's end for most of the duration but was unable to put any quality shots on Crusaders sophomore goalkeeper Jennifer Galemmo.

"I think they came out a little more flat than we did," Schweain said. "I don't know how the game would of came out without the rain delay. It could of been a different game."