Bench players are always taught to stay ready, not knowing when they will be called upon and yet still be expected to perform.
Riley Givens and
Zara McCarthy took that message to heart on Wednesday night versus Transylvania. Both came on to the pitch at Amend Field as subs and left with a goal and assist as Centre improved to 5-0-0 on the year with a 3-0 win over the Pioneers. The win marks the Colonels' best start to a season since 2019.
The opening quarter-hour proved a feeling out process as Centre took on former assistant, Trip Rogers, who departed for Transy over the summer. The first threat for the Colonels came in the 18th minute off the right boot of
Tessa Miles, but the shot was saved. The moment proved a predecessor to what came in the 26th minute. Miles found space on the right side of the box, took a feed from
Riley Givens, and fired a shot into the net. Miles' 2nd goal of the season gave the Colonels the lead. Centre kept charging as Miles,
Claire Cavacini and
Alexis Kronenthal all had viable scoring chances heading into the final minutes of the half. The hard work paid off in the final minute as the Colonels jammed possession inside the Pioneer box. Ultimately,
Riley Givens tucked home a pass from
Zara McCarthy to give Centre a 2-0 lead at the half.
The highlight of the night came in the 60th minute.
Zara McCarthy took possession near the midfield line. She worked towards the right side, fought threw three Pioneer defenders and blasted a 25-yard bomb to the upper-left corner of the net. The Colonel crowd went into a frenzy and McCarthy delivered the goal of the season thus far to give Centre a 3-goal lead. Centre pressed for more even as head coach, Jay Hoffman, rotated multiple subs into the game, but ultimately took home the 3-0 win.
Centre dominated the final 75 minutes of the night, out-shooting Transy 21-4 overall, including an 11-1 edge in shots on goal. The defense also did not allow a corner to the Pioneers throughout the night. The dominance also allowed Centre to rest key players as the Colonels saw 16 players log a minimum of 20 minutes on the night.
The Colonels will go for a 6th straight win on Saturday as they travel to Granville, OH to take on Denison. Kickoff is set for 1:00pm.
