Huntingdon 6 Tyrone 0

The trouble for Tyrone began before the first whistle.  Technical difficulties prompted an a cappella rendition of the national anthem at Tyrone’s home game against Huntingdon.  The sound problem was a preview of things to come for the Eagles as the Bearcats dominated the game.

After 15 minutes of back and forth play, Heather Gutshall broke through Tyrone’s center backs and opened the scoring for Huntingdon. Less than 3 minutes later, Jaelyn Mitchell would do the same, making it 2-0 Huntingdon before the 20-minute mark. Gutshall would convert two more goals in the half, one off a service from Mitchell and another from Jordan Hawkins to put Huntingdon ahead 4-0 heading into the half.

Tyrone was able to hold off the Bearcats for about 30 minutes in the second half, but couldn’t find an answer on the offensive end. Two more goals from Kylie Glorioso and Kali Pitcock further cemented Huntingdon’s victory.

“Coming off an emotional game against Central, we had a bit of a letdown,” said Head Coach Mike Sparacino. “I need to have us better prepared for games like this.”

Score by Halves

T: 0 0 0

H: 4 2 6

1^st Half: H- Gutshall (Unassisted) 15:04, H- Mitchell (Unassisted) 17:57, H- Gutshall (Mitchell) 25:41, H- Gutshall (Hawkins) 34:54.

2^nd Half: H- Glorioso (Unassisted) 67:04, H- Pitcock (Deforest) 73:35.

Clearfield 3 Tyrone 1

Tyrone took the field looking like a completely different team compared to when they played Huntingdon, but the end result was the same with the Eagles losing 3-1.

Clearfield defender Erika Frye converted on a corner kick for the Bison around the 20-minute mark but Tyrone responded quickly. Just 3 minutes later, Riley D’Angelo connected with Gabrielle Bowser, who finessed the ball through Clearfield’s backline and past their keeper to level the score at 1-1.

Clearfield had a chance to take the lead heading into the half when they were awarded a penalty kick, but Grace Johnson sent the ball sailing over the net.

“We had a much better performance against Clearfield, but the theme of the game was missed opportunities,” said Sparacino.

Though the game’s momentum was shifting in their favor, Tyrone couldn’t convert on multiple chances they had to score. Clearfield, however, took advantage of a free kick awarded after an offsides call 55 minutes into the game. Jaclyn Freeman beat outran two Tyrone defenders to get to the ball, and sent it into the back of the net past keeper Kelsey Johnson. Tyrone had plenty of chances to tie the game but just couldn’t convert on any of them.

“Multiple breakaways didn’t go in our favor,” said Sparacino.

With only four minutes left, Tyrone pushed its whole team into an offensive mode. Johnson capitalized on this strategic decision, chasing down a long ball from Kylee Mitchell while Tyrone was still transitioning back to defense. This time, she was able to convert and earned Clearfield a 3-1 victory.

“We outplayed them, outhustled them, and outpossessed them. The only thing we didn’t do was outscore them,” Sparacino said.

Score by Halves

T: 1 0 1

C: 1 2 3

1^st Half: C- Frye (Freeman) 19:27, T- Bowser (D’Angelo) 22:24.

2^nd Half: C- Freeman (Unassisted) 55:37, C- Johnson (Mitchell) 76:19

Things will not get any easier for Tyrone as they head into a grueling week with three consecutive away. First, they travel to take on an undefeated West Branch squad Monday night, followed by two conference matches against Bellefonte and Bald Eagle Area on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.

“It’s going to be a real test,” said Sparacino. “We have 3 straight away games, but I feel confident we can rebound and prove what type of team we really are.”