24 DAILY NEWS – West Chester Rustin secured a hard-fought victory over West Chester Henderson in a Ches-Mont League girls soccer match.
WEST CHESTER — Close games are a normal circumstance when the West Chester Rustin and Henderson girls soccer teams get together. This year’s renewal of the rivalry was much the same as both defenses bottled up the opposing offenses until late in the contest.
Ava Pascarella scored on a penalty kick early in the second overtime to give the Golden Knights a 1-0 victory over the Warriors in a Ches-Mont League contest at J. Oscar Dicks Stadium.
“It’s always back and forth between us,” said Pascarella. “It’s always a hard fought match. The last few minutes we had our chances and in overtime, I knew we were going to finish.”
“We knew it was going to be a battle coming in,” added Rustin coach Billy Hegarty. “They’re a good team. They have a lot of good results this year. It came down to the last couple of minutes.”
The winning sequence started as Rustin had a shot that was saved, but it kept the ball alive.
Natalie Duffie went at a Henderson defender and cut inside in the penalty area and was brought down, bringing out the whistle and the referee pointed to the penalty spot.
Pascarella stepped up and drove a shot into the lower left corner past Henderson freshman goalie Madison Brown for the winning tally.
“I’m usually the penalty taker,” said Pascarella. “So I stepped up confidently and finished it. I always go lower left corner. I always close my hips. That’s my sweet spot.”
Both teams came in ranked in the top 10 in their respective classes in District 1. Rustin was fifth in 3A, while Henderson was fourth in 4A. Both squads were on a three-game winning streak. Rustin moves to 2-0 in the Ches-Mont and 4-2 overall. Henderson drops to 1-1 and 3-2-1.
The Warriors had the first three shots of the opening half, all from the outside, which resulted in a comfortable save from goalie Natalie Giunta.
Rustin came closest early, although it was not an official shot on goal as Duffie cranked a left-footed shot from 25 yards. The curving went just wide of bending into the top left corner.
Barely two minutes later, Rustin had another chance as Duffie turned provider, slipping a perfectly weighted through ball into the path of Pascarella, but her shot went wide.
Henderson’s best chance of the half came off a corner kick late in the half. Anneliese Knapp’s delivery was met by Kaitlyn Miller, whose header went just wide.
“It’s disappointing, but I’m proud of our girls’ collective effort,” said Henderson coach Stephen Norris. “They did a great job playing as a team.”
Both teams had six shots in the first 40 minutes, with Giunta making five saves to one for Brown.
“Madison was in her first really big high-stakes game at home at night and she did a great job. I’m proud of her,” said Norris.
The second half was much of the same as the defensive wall stayed up. Rustin started to see a little more of the ball. They outshot Henderson, 7-2, in the second half.
Pascarella nearly broke the deadlock midway through the half as her long range effort hit off the crossbar.
Neither team could crack the scoreboard and the contest went into overtime.
“The defenders worked really, really hard today,” said Hegarty. “We were organized and the work effort was high. The midfield three of Zoe McGraw, Jenna Kraft and Maura Mucci in the last 30 or 40 minutes were unbelievable with that work rate.”
Henderson regrouped and had the better of the play in the first 10-minute session, recording both shots in the first overtime.
The Warriors will regroup and return to Dicks Stadium to host Downingtown East on Wednesday, while Rustin travels to Avon Grove.
West Chester Rustin 1, West Chester Henderson 0 (2OT)W.C. Rustin 0 0 0 1 — 1W.C. Henderson 0 0 0 0 — 0W.C. Rustin goal: Pascarella.Goalie saves: Giunta (WCR) 5; Brown (WCH) 5.
Key Moments of the Game
As 24 DAILY NEWS reports, the Ches-Mont League encounter between West Chester Rustin and West Chester Henderson unfolded as a tightly contested affair, ultimately decided in double overtime.
Pascarella’s Decisive Penalty
According to sources at the game, Ava Pascarella converted a penalty kick early in the second overtime, securing a 1-0 victory for the Golden Knights over the Warriors. The penalty was awarded after Natalie Duffie was brought down in the penalty area. Pascarella confidently placed her shot into the lower left corner of the net, past Henderson’s freshman goalie, Madison Brown.
Coaches’ Perspectives
Reflecting on the game, both coaches acknowledged the competitive nature of the rivalry. Rustin’s coach, Billy Hegarty, told 24 DAILY NEWS that he anticipated a tough battle, praising Henderson as a strong team. Henderson coach Stephen Norris, while disappointed with the result, expressed pride in his team’s collective effort.
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