Bent, McKinley, Mollen score for Cheboygan girls soccer in 3-1 district win over Kingsford
CHEBOYGAN – The postseason wasn’t kind to the Cheboygan Chiefs over the previous two seasons.
On Thursday, however, the Chiefs reversed that trend of losing their first district game by opening with a 3-1 victory over Kingsford in a Division 3 first-round soccer clash at home.
Here’s some takeaways for the Chiefs, who were sharp from start to finish against a dangerous Kingsford squad.
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Burying their chances
The key for the Chiefs (11-4-2) on Thursday was clinical finishing, as three different players scored goals in the triumph. Starting things off was senior Taylor Bent, who put Cheboygan up 1-0 by scoring about 16 minutes into the contest. Providing the Chiefs with a two-goal advantage was sophomore Jillian McKinley, who delivered a spectacular long-range shot with under 10 minutes before halftime.
After the break, the Chiefs got another huge insurance goal from an unlikely source in defender Jenna Mollen, whose calm tap-in put Cheboygan up 3-0. The goal was the first in the varsity career of Mollen, who’s been rock-solid defensively this spring.
“Addy Baldwin gave me the assist and it kind of went through the goalie’s hands and I just kind of tapped it in, but as a defender, it actually felt really good,” Mollen said. “I’m not really familiar with (the striker) position, but all you know is that you’ve got to crash the net and put it in there, and I’m very happy with my performance and the team’s performance tonight.”
Defensively solid
After the scary start that saw the Flivvers create opportunities because of their pace, Cheboygan’s defense settled down and made it difficult for Kingsford’s attack. The only blemish for the Chiefs came when they conceded a Kingsford goal a couple of minutes after Cheboygan made it 3-0. Mollen, along with Cheboygan’s defenders and goalkeeper Mia Davis, all chipped in during a stout display.
“I think the whole thing about it was keeping your shape, communication and moving the ball, switching the field, that’s all part of it,” Mollen said. “Their girls had speed. They’ll be physical, so you must be physical back.”
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Grayling up next
With the Chiefs winning their first district game in three seasons, every Cheboygan player and coach celebrated with great joy when the final whistle sounded. The win sends the Chiefs to next Tuesday’s district semifinals, where they’ll meet Grayling in a 5 p.m. clash in Cheboygan.
As for Thursday, Cheboygan coach Tom Markham was pleased by his squad’s strong performance.
“We beat a quality team,” Markham said. “We did a great job of switching the point of attack, a couple great balls off to Addy (Baldwin), a couple great balls to Ava (Baldwin), and we had some great finishes.”
Earlier in the week, Cheboygan captured a 2-0 victory at Sault Ste. Marie in their regular season finale. Bent and Jaelyn Wheelock scored for the Chiefs, who received assists from Penelope Balitz and Addy Baldwin.
Contact sports editor Jared Greenleaf at jgreenleaf@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @sportsCDT
This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Cheboygan girls soccer captures 3-1 district win over Kingsford
