Mutiny Overtake Charge 4-2

A week after their 5-1 season opening loss, the four different goalscorers emerged for the Mutiny during Saturday’s 4-2 win over the Chesapeake Charge.

Jenny Maurer (18′), Tiya Gallegos (25′), Riley Houle (32′) and Becca Mays (90′) all scored for New England, while Shannon Collins (27′) and Sophia Reid (49′) countered for the Charge at East Longmeadow High School.

“I think we realized we needed to shot the ball a little more,” said Maurer in a post-game release. “We had control of the play and we needed to take advantage of our opportunities. We just needed to keep attacking.”

The Mutiny took advantage of its first opportunity within the first 20 minutes. From a distance of about 30 yards, Maurer pounded a shot en route to the upper 90 to give the Mutiny its first lead of the season in the 18th minute.

Seven minutes later the Mutiny added another. Houle whipped a corner into the area, where a number of players battled for it before Gallegos slotted it through in the 25th minute.

However, Chesapeake cut the lead in half only two minutes later. Off a miscleared ball, Collins grabbed it, then fired it past keeper Alexa Gaul in the 27th minute.

In the 32nd minute, the Mutiny reclaimed its two-goal advantage when Houle was taken down inside the area. Moments later, the Mutiny midfielder made it 3-1 going into the half.

The Charge came out into the second half searching for a way to close the two-goal gap. In the 49th minute, Reid took it to the corner of the box, where she chipped it over Gaul and into the goal.

New England neutralized the Charge for the remainder, but added another for good measure when Mays beat the Chesapeake defense and slipped it past keeper Erin Quinn to seal it in stoppage time.

“Our plan was to…pressure and try and get an early lead, and we did,” said Mutiny head coach Tony Horta in a post-game release. “Unfortunately, they got one back, which changed the complexion of the game. I think we went into halftime on a positive note but we came out in the second half and we were flat. We would’ve loved to have rested some people, but their second goal took us out of our plan.

The Mutiny will have little time to rest when they return to action on May 20 for a its second game in two days, with the Philadelphia Fever on tap. Washington Township High School in Sewell, N.J. will host the match.