Perkins girls shoot past Port Clinton

PERKINS TWP. — Perkins' girls soccer team won its fourth straight match Wednesday, scoring three first half goals in a 4-1 Sandusky Bay Conference win over Port Clinton at Firelands Health Stadium. Jordyn Brunner, one of the cornerstones in a talented 12-player junior class, scored two goals and added an assist as the Pirates improved to 5-1 overall and 2-0 in the SBC. "We were active," Perkins coach Scott McVeigh said. "We were ready to play, distributed the ball well and spread the wealth a little bit. "Definitely had some open looks, a couple that we could've finished better. We're getting there. Against Clyde we had 24 shots and two goals, so we're getting there." Perkins scored first when Brunner found an open Isa Ramirez left of the goal. Ramirez, a junior, calmly delivered the match's first goal 8 minutes in. "I thought she had a lot of composure in the box and placed it," McVeigh said. "Didn't hurry anything." Port Clinton (1-3-1, 1-2-1) tied it at 1-1 when Emma Knecht got past the Perkins defense and drove the ball into the top of the net at the 15:23 mark of the first half. "I thought we put a pretty good game together in all aspects," McVeigh said. "Defensively I thought we were solid. We gave up a cheap goal coming off a yellow card. Everyone was kind of standing around watching." It didn't take long for Perkins — which has scored 11 goals in its last three outings — to build a comfortable margin. Brunner took a straight-on shot that pinballed off the PC goalie and then off Brunner. The ball trickled into the net at the 12:47 mark. "That first one, I kinda got a lucky touch and tapped it and it got through the goalie," Brunner said. At the 10:04 mark, junior Ireland Hart grabbed a loose ball and scored an uncontested goal to make it 3-1. Hart also was credited with an assist. Perkins scored the only goal in the second half when Brunner, nearly out of bounds and left of the goal, snuck one in to make it 4-1 with 28:31 to play. "I was kind of aiming for the corner, but more for a cross," Brunner said. "I think the defender hit it wrong and it snuck past the goalie." McVeigh was pleased with Brunner's effort. "Just consistent and active as can be," he said. "We talk a lot about the ball finding energy, and the ball's at her feet a lot because she's so active. Jordyn made some nice passes. We had a couple younger girls who weren't ready for them. Could've had a couple more assists." Perkins, a district champion last year in Division III, plays at Sandusky on Monday before hosting Vermilion next Wednesday. "We're getting better every day," McVeigh said. "Monday night, Labor Day, we had a late practice under the lights and I thought it was one of the better ones we've had all year."