The Spartans played well throughout the second half, including scoring a goal, but Central Columbia’s first-half offensive surge was too much to overcome as the Blue Jays left Hughesville with a 3-1 win against the Spartans.

It handed Hughesville (2-1) its first loss of the year.

The Blue Jays scored twice in a four-minute span in the first half to put Hughesville into a huge hole, 3-0. Against a team like Central Columbia, that’s difficult to claw back from.

“That first half was a little bit bad for us, right? We couldn’t find our feet, couldn’t get our touches under control, so credit to Central for putting them in the back of the net when they could,” Hughesville coach Cody Hack said.

Kylie Temple of Hughesville takes a shot late in the game against Central Columbia at Hughesville High School. Central Columbia won 3-1. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

“I think getting the goals fast really set the momentum and tempo that what we were doing was working,” Central Columbia coach Bryan Hiller said. “It definitely gave us confidence to help control the game from there on out. The second goal especially allowed us to relax and then play more of our soccer.”

Joey Devlin scored just under eight minutes into the game to give the Blue Jays a 1-0 lead when she got inside of the 6-yard box and was able to use her body to send in the ball as she avoided Hughesville keeper Jasmine Caputo.

The Blue Jays went ahead 2-0 when Quinlan Blake was roughly 20 yards out and sent a great shot to the left near post.

Four minutes later, it was Devlin who lined up for a penalty kick and buried it to the right for a three-goal lead with 17:35 to play until halftime.

“We reset at halftime. It wasn’t bad, we were still very much in that game despite the scoreboard being three-nil. They scored three in a half, we can score three in a half, right?” Hack said. “Just turns out tonight we didn’t. We gave them a reset, told them calm down and play our game. It just didn’t work out for us tonight.”

Kylie Temple of Hughesville tries to control the ball as she’s defended by Kayla Poust (21) and Piper Sorg (18) of Central Columbia at Hughesville High School. Central Columbia won 3-1. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

It was a difference between halves for the Spartans in terms of offensive aggressiveness. After being held to four shots in the first half — just two on goal — Hughesville routinely peppered freshman Maddie Cedeno in the second half and came away with a total of ten shots on frame in the final 40 minutes.

The Spartans avoided the shutout when Caradyn McGinley drilled a shot from 30 yards out high that Cedeno was able to initially stop, but lost control fo the ball on a wet field and it slipped by for a goal and cut the deficit to 3-1 with 32:29 remaining in the game.

“There were points in this game, because Hughesville’s a very good team, that we had to focus more on defending and make sure our marks were marked, clearing balls out, until we got chance to settle game down,” Hiller said. “There was a part after they scored that goal for 10-15 minutes where we really had to focus on the defensive end of it and I thought our girls did a really good job.”

That 10-15 minute span is where Hughesville kept pressuring to hope to score another goal and shift momentum and possibly rally. And while the Spartans had chances, that second goal never came.

“There was a span there of almost 10 minutes where we were just pressuring their back line,” Hack said. “Again, we didn’t get any through in back of the net, but it was good to see the change in the half.”

Sierra Dewire of Hughesville tries to take a shot on goal as collides with goalie Madalyn Cedeno of Central Columbia at Hughesville High School. Central Columbia won 3-1. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Kylie Temple nearly scored three minutes into the second half. The speedy Spartan got the ball near the end of the field and was able to quickly turn and fire a shot to the right near post but Cedeno was able to record a block to stop a possible goal.

Two minutes later, Hughesville’s Kat Temple who had the ball outside of the 18 down the left-hand side of the field with a Central defender near her and crossed to her right to Kylie Temple, who had a great header attempt. that narrowly missed.

In the second half, Hughesville fired 12 total shots and all but five were from inside the 18 as the Spartans routinely applied pressure to the Blue Jays.

The Spartans final chance to put in a goal came with 6:49 remaining in the second half as she took a shot from just inside the 18, but sent it right at Cedeno who caught it.

Cedeno recorded 11 saves against a good Spartan team, which is impressive given Thursday was her first ever action in varsity competition.

Elizabeth Wolfe of Hughesville and Kayla Poust of Central Columbia race after a loose ball at Hughesville High School. Central Columbia won 3-1. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

“She’s a freshman who this is her first start,” Hiller said. “Our other goalie got a concussion the last game, so Maddie is coming out as a freshman in first start ever and she was composed and relaxed and did everything right.”

Kylie Temple nearly made it a 2-1 deficit with 22:02 to play in the first half when she fired a shot to the right only to see it go just wide of the post. 

Hughesville had a great chance to score seven minutes into the game as well when Sierra Dewire found the ball at her feet and fired from outside of the 6-yad box, but Cedeno was able to slide and block the shot, preventing an early goal from Hughesville.

While the Blue Jays did score three goals on Saturday, Caputo did well in goal for Hughesville in not allowing the Blue Jays to extend the lead in the second half while Hughesville was attempting to come back.

“She’s been doing very well for us. That second one snuck underneath her, but it’s a wet field, that happens,” Hack said. “She’s been doing very well for us, she wasn’t here last year — so she came out her freshman year, but wasn’t here her sophomore year. She’s been putting in some very good work for us.”

Avery Puderbach of Hughesville tries to get the ball past the defense of Kayla Poust of Central Columbia at Hughesville High School. Central Columbia won 3-1. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

The Spartans are at Crestwood on Saturday for an 11 a.m. game, the first of three consecutive road games for Hughesville as the Spartans are at Williamson on Monday and Montoursville on Wednesday.

Central Columbia 3, Hughesville 1

CC–Joey Devlin, 32:08. CC–Quinlan Blake, 28:10. CC–Devlin (penalty kick), 17:35. H–Caradyn McGinley, 32:29.

Shots: CC 14, H 12. Corners: CC 1, H 3. Saves: CC (Maddie Cedeno) 11, H (Jasmine Caputo) 11.

Records: Central Columbia (4-1), Hughesville (2-1).