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Clayton nets 5 goals to lead Waynesburg past Yough in Section 3-AA

By: HSSN Staff
Wednesday, September 20, 2017 | 9:36 PM

They traded one exciting goal after another before halftime, their teams coming out in full attack mode Wednesday night in a Section 3-AA first-place showdown in Herminie.

Yough sophomore Justine Appolonia and Waynesburg senior Madison Clayton put on an offensive show in Yough's home opener on the new turf at Cougar Mountain Stadium.

Appolonia had a first-half hat trick. But Clayton added three scores after the break for a five-goal night to lead the No. 4-ranked Raiders to a 7-4 victory over No. 3 Yough, handing the Cougars their first loss of the season.

“Madison has done this for four years,” Waynesburg coach Joe Kijowski said. “She is unstoppable and makes everyone around her better. She is a great finisher.”

A Pitt recruit, Clayton has 29 goals this season and 114 for her career.

“We weren't expecting a low-scoring game,” Yough coach Dann Appolonia said. “We decided our best chance was to try and outscore them. It wasn't going to be a defensive game. I would have liked to allow less than seven (goals), but I am happy with the way our girls played.”

Clayton, continously lurking in the center of the Raiders' attack, lasered a 9-yard shot past Yough keeper Sara Krofchek early in the second half to give the Raiders (8-1, 5-0) a 5-4 edge.

“We really kept our composure the entire time and didn't panic,” Clayton said. “We all kept it together. We try to come out and play fast and make (opponents) panic.”

She finally gave Waynesburg some breathing room in the 59th minute when she put back a rebound on a shot by Rhea Kijowski to make it 6-4.

“The thing about (Clayton) is that she seems to make every shot she takes,” Dann Appolonia said. “Some girls might score 25 percent of the time. She scores 90. She has great instincts.”

Clayton's fifth score came in the final seconds.

Justine Appolonia had three goals in the first half for Yough (6-1, 4-1), giving her 17 for the season.

“We played the best we did all year tonight,” she said. “Madison is just so tough to stop.”

The teams combined for eight goals on 13 shots in the first 40 minutes.

Yough's scoring chances diminished in the second 40-minute session.

Waynesburg opened the scoring just six minutes in when midfielder Bailey Fudala floated a 19-yard shot just beneath the crossbar and by a leaping Krofcheck.

Less than four minutes later, Yough tied it when freshman Natalie Vilchek patiently recovered after a defender fell down, repositioned herself and bumped a soft grounder past McKenzie Booth.

In the 15th minute, All-WPIAL sophomore Appolonia connected in close to make it 2-1.

Jillian Kijowski scored the Raiders' second goal to tie it 2-2.

But Appolonia answered almost immediately with her second score to give the Cougars a 3-2 advantage at the 20:28 mark.

Before Yough could get settled into any type of possession soccer, Clayton sent a zinger past a lunging Krofchek and it was 3-3 in the 24th minute.

“We didn't start great, to be honest,” coach Kijowski said. “We needed to settle in. As the game went on, we got more confident and creative.”

After a foul in the box, Yough set up for a penalty kick with Appolonia at the point. Her low-lining shot hit the back of the night, and Yough led 4-3 in the 34th minute.

Waynesburg tied it for a third time on Clayton's third goal. She took a nice centering pass and fired to make it 4-4 with three minutes left until the half.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at bbeckner@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BillBeckner.

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