The Mounties peppered Montgomery throughout the first 40 minutes, rifling 11 shots — nine on goal — but had just one score to show for it.

“I said to the girls we have to play the way we’re capable of playing,” Lovecchio said at the half. “You have to do the things you’re capable of doing and it all starts with the desire. They said something about effort and I said that’s the point. The effort, that’s something you can fix and that’s what you have to fix.”

That message was well received and the players took notice. South Williamsport came out in the second half and scored just three and a half minutes into the game and ended the second half with five goals to earn a 6-0 win over Montgomery in a Mid-Penn matchup on Tuesday afternoon.

“You got to give Montgomery credit, they’re vastly improved. They’re well coached and the kids played well. We just didn’t come out ready to play,” Lovecchio said. “So, while on the one hand I’m happy we played the way we did in the second half, we had a lot of give-and-go. We had some nice goals and nice play. I’m frustrated because we can’t keep playing poorly or not playing to our capacity until the second half. It comes back and bites you.”

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent South Williamsport’s Althea Street (1) kicks during a high school girls soccer match between South Williamsport and Montgomery at South Williamsport on Tuesday.

In the first half, South had plenty of chances to score, but any time someone fired it seemed that Montgomery keeper Addison Gregor was right there to make a key block or catch.

“We have a phenomenal goal keeper. She played softball, so you can see that in her hands and her abilities to catch the ball out of the air and on the ground. On top of that we have two amazing center backs in Lily Burchell and Grace Childs and they did a great job of knocking down any opportunities the strikers may have had,” Montgomery coach Taylor Snyder said.

“She’s incredible. She came to us this year and we just started really training her this year to get her going for the season,” Snyder added about Gregor. “She made so much progress since the beginning of the year. Her punts and saves have really progressed a lot. I’m happy with their performance.”

Gregor ended the game with 14 saves, recording seven in each half.

While the first half was a close, tight game, the Mounties started finding feet in the second half and putting in goals to pull away.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent South Williamsport’s Ivy Minier (2) dribbles around Montgomery’s Zoe Furman (22) during a high school girls soccer match between South Williamsport and Montgomery at South Williamsport on Tuesday.

Addisyn Morrison scored from 15 yards out to the left post off a Kloey Persun assist with 37:31 left in the second half to put the Mounties ahead, 2-0. It was then Ella Moore who rifled a shot from more than 25 out off a Kendall Smith assist and made it a 3-0 lead.

Two minutes later, South scored again when Persun fed a pass to Alya Minier who gave the Mounties a 4-0 lead.

In total, the Mounties saw six players record goals. Persun scored the game’s first goal and Coco Kline and Ana Oeler scored the final two goals, respectively, in the final 11 minutes of the game.

“If you noticed I had Ella playing in the back a lot of the time. We need her back there and she’s obviously a team player,” Lovecchio said as the team’s 100-goal scorer played a defensive role for much of Tuesday. “But that’s what you want to do, you want to spread it around. It’s critical. You can’t be a one-trick pony.”

In the second half South Williamsport’s Morrison got the ball just outside the 18 with 28:58 to play and sent a great shot high that hit off the crossbar and was just inches from being an outstanding goal. The Mounties also had a first-half shot that hit off the crossbar.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Players vie for possession of the ball during a high school girls soccer match between South Williamsport and Montgomery at South Williamsport on Tuesday.

While the score may not indicate it, Montgomery played well limiting some of South’s players and didn’t allow many easy looks or goals in Tuesday’s 6-0 loss. 

“I feel like moving forward what we’re just trying to focus on is playing to feet, playing the ball out of the back and really working through our attack,” Snyder said.

The Red Raiders were held to just one shot on goal, which happened in the first half. South Williamsport possessed the entire game and controlled things by not allowing Montgomery’s forwards to get into rhythm and get opportunities to fire shots.

South Williamsport 6, Montgomery 0

SW–Kloey Persun (Ella Moore), 7:09. SW–Addisyn Morrison (Persun), 37:31. SW–Moore (Kendall Smith), 28:34. SW–Alya Minier (Persun), 26:53. SW–Coco Kline (Persun), 10:08. SW–Ana Oeler (Morrison), 5:00.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montgomery’s Miranda Staggert (4) dribbles the ball during a high school girls soccer match between South Williamsport and Montgomery at South Williamsport on Tuesday.

Shots: M 1, SW 22. Corners: M 1, SW 7. Saves: M 14 (Addison Gregor), SW 1 (Althea Street).

Records: Montgomery (4-6, 1-4 Mid-Penn), South (5-3, 5-1 Mid-Penn).

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent South’s Addison Morison (5) attempts to pass around Montgomery’s Grace Childs (11) during a high school girls soccer match between South Williamsport and Montgomery at South Williamsport on Tuesday.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montgomery’s Brooke Knoebel (8) attempts to steal the ball during a high school girls soccer match between South Williamsport and Montgomery at South Williamsport on Tuesday.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montgomery’s Isabella Rivera-Williams (9) moves the ball around a South defender during a high school football game between South Williamsport and Montgomery at South Williamsport on Tuesday.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Players battle for the ball during a high school girls soccer match between South Williamsport and Montgomery at South Williamsport on Tuesday.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montgomery goalie Addison Gregor (99) blocks a shot during a high school football game between South Williamsport and Montgomery at South Williamsport on Tuesday.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montgomery goalie scoops up the ball for a goal kick during a high school girls soccer match between South Williamsport and Montgomery at South Williamsport on Tuesday.