Lindbert sets program scoring mark in 8-1 win
By Anthony Zilis

Lake Park forward Megan Lindbert said she was confident that she would score the three goals needed to break the Lancers' career goal-scoring record, even if she didn't register a hat-trick in Monday's regular season finale.

But she seemed relieved after she scored three goals in an 8-1 win over East Aurora.

“It's a pressure off my back a little bit,” Lindbert said. “I thought I could [break the record], but it was more or less, like, I thought I could get it before the season was over.”

The most impressive part of the feat was that Lindbert only needed three years to break the record after missing her entire junior year due to a torn ACL.

Even after she missed a year, coach Chris Fruehling never had much doubt the Kent State commit would break the record. He's known she had that potential since she was a freshman.

“I knew she had that in her, it was just a matter of when it was going to come,” Fruehling said. “I knew when she was coming in as a freshman, she would be a really special player and I'm so proud about the player she's turned into.”

The Lancers dominated in every facet of Monday's game.

Jessica Berkshire opened the scoring in the fourth minute when she collected a poor East Aurora clearance at the top of the box, took a touch and scored.

Lindbert added to the lead in the 17th minute, when she placed a shot past the goalkeeper after Jacey Kent sent her through the East Aurora defense with a well-placed thrown in.

East Aurora scored two minutes later when a shot from 30 yards beat goalkeeper Rebecca Thorne to make the score 2-1.

Although the Lancers were controlling the flow of play early on, they didn't think they were playing their brand of soccer.

“We weren't playing our way [early on]. We weren't playing the simple balls,” sophomore Caitlyn Ryba said. “They messed with our mind a little bit with their intensity, but after half-time, we didn't stoop down to their level. We played Lancer soccer.”

The goal would be the last time Thorne was challenged in the first half, and the Lancers dominated from there-on-out.

In the 28th minute, Lindbert hit a shot off of the near post straight to Ryba, who knocked the rebound home.

Six minutes later, Jillian Kent's corner curled just inside the near post into the hands of the East Aurora goalkeeper, but the ball crossed the line to make the score 4-1.

In the waning minutes of the first half, a deflection by Casey Harris bounces right into the stride of Linbert, who placed a shot into the side-netting.

The goal-scoring rate picked up early in the second half, when it took only 15 minutes for the Lancers to tack on three more goals.

Lindbert scored her record-breaking third goal of the game in the 42nd minute, when she knocked home a low cross from Ryba.

Seven minutes later, Harris sent Ryba through with a well-placed pass, and the sophomore took her time and slotted a shot into the lower corner.

Jacey Kent closed out the scoring in the 55th minute when she knocked home a penalty kick goal after she was taken down in the box.

“I thought we played well second half, our second half was better than our first,” Lindbert said. “Our possession picked up, and we were able to play the ball over the top and through to our forwards who were making runs, because they were playing a trap. Our forwards eventually disrupted it.”

With the game in hand with three minutes remaining goalkeeper Jamie Crowley saved two straight penalty kicks after the first was called back due to a violation.

“To not only make the first save and then have another opportunity and to save the second one says a lot about her character, about Jamie being focused and discipline and not getting into her head and getting with it,” Fruehling said.

The Lancers won eight out of their last nine games heading into the playoffs, so they'll go to the Class 3A Lake Park Sectional with confidence. But Fruehling knows that maintaining their level of play against high-level playoff opponents will be key.

“It's a great game, it's a fun game, the girls are able to finish some opportunities where they weren't able to have opportunities early in the year,” Fruehling said. “Megan was able to have the career record in a game like tonight. But on the flip-side, the speed of our play, we need to keep dictating that. In that regard, it's good to keep as disciplined as we can.”