5/30/2010

MIDDLETOWN -- Top-seeded Tower Hill controlled the tempo from the start to defeat St. Thomas More 6-0 Saturday and advance to the semifinals of the Delaware High School Girls Soccer State Tournament.

The Hillers (16-1) established their attack early, leading to a 13-2 shot advantage in the first half and four goals in the final 20 minutes of the half, and Grace Firestone led the way with assists on Tower Hill's first three scores.

"I think this game more than any other, we had girls running off the ball and being in the right spot," Firestone said of what led to her assists. "It made my job easy to find them and put it on their foot."

 

Tower Hill's first goal came 20 minutes into the game when Firestone fired a pass from the midfield to Kendal Robino, who shot the ball from 28 yards out for the goal. Hailey Lawler gave Tower Hill a 2-0 lead at the 24:10 mark of the first half after Firestone set her up for the goal.

 

Firestone netted her third assist of the game when she set up Brooke Kelly's first of three goals in the game at 31:10 to give the Hillers a three-goal advantage over the eighth-seeded Ravens (13-4).

 

"[Firestone] has been overlooked for that all season," Hiller coach Garry Chandler said. "She does so much of the dirty work. She's unsung to large extent. She excels at setting everyone else up."

 

Tower Hill put the game out of the reach at 4-0 in the final minute of the first half with Kelly's second goal.

Tower Hill 6, St. Thomas More 0

Tower Hill 4 2 - 6

First half- Robino (Firestone), TH, 20:00; Lawler (Firestone) TH, 24:10; Kelly (Firestone), TH, 31:10; Kelly (Lawler), TH, 39:00.

Second half- Cusack (Robino), TH, 43:58; Kelly (), TH, 67:27.

Shots- STM 8, TH 16. Corner kicks-STM 3, TH 8. Saves-STM 10 (Walters), TH 8 (O'Donnell).

By KEVIN PHILLIPS • Special to The News Journal • May 30, 2010