Youth/High School Soccer
Brown hat trick leads Dock to win over Faith Christian in District 1 final rematch
Prolific goal scorer Ashley Brown had a pair of goals in the first half and added a third to complete the hat trick in the second half as Dock Mennonite took down defending Class A state champions Faith Christian Academy in a Tuesday afternoon match on the road.
The battle of the last two Class A girls soccer state champions featured a number of new faces on both sides but it was the most familiar player, two-time state champion Brown – she scored more than 100 goals in her first three seasons at Dock – that made the biggest impression on the match.
“Faith is always good competition against us so to be able to win the game and feel confident this early in the season is really important,” Brown said.
Dock was coming off a tough 5-0 loss to Class 3A Lower Moreland after putting up big numbers in lopsided wins over Collegium and MaST Charter.
“Coming off last season with our season ending in the district finals I think the girls had that revenge on their mind and they had the grit that we needed to win today,” head coach Stacey Vaitis-Dubos said. “We have some big spots from last year to fill and they did exactly what we needed them to do today.”
One of the newcomers to the squad, Ava Vaitis, had a strong outing combining with Brown. The two linked up on the first goal and showed a budding partnership in the attack between senior and freshman.
“We have really good chemistry,” Brown said. “We have a similar style of play and just a lot of fun playing with her.”
Vaitis was particular impressive in the counter press, winning back possession and keeping plays alive that served both to create chances going forward and limit Faith Christian’s opportunities the other way. Senior Tessa Moyer and sophomore Izzy Bigham were also instrumental in the press and in maintaining possession.
 Brown’s third goal came on an eight-pass sequence that started with a long ball intercepted by Faith that Moyer won back and sent to Bigham on the wing. Moyer then combined with Brown to set up a low left-footed shot in the box.Â
“They played quick and they had more energy than we did today,” said Faith Christian head coach Ben Sauers, who was playing with a short bench.
Four ninth graders started in the match, along with a sophomore. Two ninth graders alternated time in goal. Senior Tegan Celone, meanwhile, was the biggest threat offensively with her pace on the outside and crossing ability but the final ball wasn’t there for a Lions team that spent most of the game defending with senior defenders Peyton Voytko and Colby Jenkins anchoring the defense.
“It’s a new team with a lot of new girls so it’s all a learning experience,” Sauers said.
Tuesday’s loss at home was also the first big test of the season for Faith after posting four wins while outscoring opponents 28-3. They’ll be back at home Thursday to host Class 3A Upper Moreland.
