Millcreek • After a preseason rife with stiff competition and close calls, the Skyline Eagles (6-0- 1) have emerged unscathed and primed for the region gauntlet after winning their Region 3 opener over West 7-0.
Skyline star striker Cassidy Orr finished with a pair of goals and an assist Tuesday afternoon, claiming that the tough non-region schedule that included teams like Maple Mountain, Corner Canyon, Logan and Arbor View (Nev.) prepared her and her teammates for an arduous season ahead as they look to reach the mountaintop in Class 5A.
SKYLINE 7, WEST 0 <br>• Cassidy Orr scores two goals and an assist in the win. <br>• Skyline puts half of its total shots on target and outshoots West 24-3. <br>• Skyline remains undefeated and will take on arch rival Olympus at home Thursday.
“It was pretty great to have such strong competition in the preseason,” Orr said. “We had a lot of variety in the players that scored today. It was a great start to the regular season, and we’re prepared for it.”
Three players scored twice for the Eagles — Orr, senior forward Bergen Meyer and junior winger Jade Cornaby. Senior Hannah Combs scored on a 30-yard bomb to grow Skyline’s goal differential to plus-22 this season.
Cornaby, who typically prevents goals instead of scoring them, was a key cog in the defensive machine for the Eagles, who only allowed three shots from West (4-2-1).
“It was a fun day,” Cornaby said. “We played really well in our pressure cover and we just didn’t let them touch the ball, which was pretty good. When the ball went into the air, we were always the first ones to get to it. And if they took a bad touch, then we immediately too
k it away from them.”
Skyline jumped out to an early lead in just the third minute and never looked back in Tuesday’s hammering of the Panthers. It was Orr who struck first when the Eagles got a little tricky with their set-piece offense. After senior Adrienne Egan tapped a corner kick into play while no one was looking, Orr ran onto the ball, took advantage of the confusion and curled a shot into the upper corner of the far post to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead.
After settling for a 2-0 lead at halftime, Skyline once again struck swiftl
y to open the second half. With just two minutes gone after the break, Meyer netted her second headed goal of the match before the Eagles flew away from the competition.
“That gets in the heart of our players,” Skyline coach Yamil Castillo said about his team’s quick starts. “For us, we want to put the game out of reach quickly. You want to start the first five minutes off strong. This is what good teams do.”