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Marietta downs Massillon Washington

Massillon Washington's Deja Benjamin, left, battles Marietta's Ava Limegrover, right, for the ball during girls' soccer sectional tournament action at Jerry Brock Field Monday night. The Marietta Tigers won 6-2. Photo by Ron Johnston.

DEVOLA — Marietta High was in an attack-mode for most of the match, and it paid off handsomely.

Lexie Mullen and Maria Pfaff each scored two goals to help the MHS Tigers defeat the visiting Massillon Washington Tigers, 6-2, in a girls’ soccer sectional opener at Jerry Brock Field Monday night.

“We did a lot of nice things,” said MHS coach Jeff Price. “We’ve been practicing getting more people into the box and things. That was nice. But no game is ever perfect.”

Kyleigh Lewis, Torrance Nonnenmacher chipped in with one goal apiece for the orange and black booters from Washington County, who improved their record to 14-2-1.

Emily Mendenhall, Courtney Schuck, Mullen, and Lewis each was credited with an assist for the winners, while keeper Brookelyn Heiss finished with two saves.

Emma Balizet scored both of the Washington Tiger goals. Katie Skyllas had an assist on one them. Goalie Kenni Westfall was credited with three saves, one of which came on a penalty kick.

Washington exits with a 7-8 mark.

“I knew this team could score,” Price said. “I think we gave up a couple of easy ones, though. The first one was a miscommunication.”

Marietta staked itself to a 1-0 advantage in the sixth minute of play when Mullen collected a pass from Mendenhall and found herself one-on-one with Westfall. Mullen scored easily.

Washington came back, though, and knotted it 1-1 in the 19th minute when Balizet beat Heiss with a shot. Skyllas got the assist.

That tie was shortlived as Pfaff got an unassisted goal in the 22nd minute.

The Marietta Tigers extended their lead to 3-1 when Lewis re-directed Mullen’s cross from the left wing into the back of the net.

Lewis then got an assist on Nonnenmacher’s goal with 9:38 remaining before the intermission.

Just before the break, a Washington defender was whistled for a handball in the box. On the ensuing penalty kick attempt, Pfaff converted it to give Marietta a 5-1 halftime advantage.

Early in the second half, Marietta got another PK, but Westfall made a nice save on the shot.

Washington cut it to 5-2 on Balizet’s goal with 24:24 remaining in the match. Heiss was able to get a hand on Balizet’s shot but was unable to corral it.

Capping all the scoring, Mullen, who started it all, got her second goal of the match on a nice cross from Schuck on the right wing.

Marietta is slated to play at Lake in a second-round match Thursday with the time TBA.

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