Girls Soccer: Strath Haven repeats thanks to Hotham’s surprise

NETHER PROVIDENCE >> Margot Hotham’s first reaction was sheepish surprise Tuesday night.

For 53 minutes, her Strath Haven team had pressured Springfield but couldn’t find a crack in the Cougars’ armor. So when Hotham’s low shot across the face of goal from the left channel beat goalie Shannon Cutcliff and helped the Panthers bust through that wall, it took a moment to set in.

“I was just shocked,” said Hotham of the first of her two goals that helped the Panthers to a 3-0, Central League-title-clinching win. “Obviously I wanted to score, but I had missed a few times, but I finally made it and I was kind of shocked in the moment. Then I saw people running at me, and I was really excited.”

The victory earns the Panthers (12-3-1, 10-0-1) their second straight Central League title and sixth crown in seven years. They had it all to do Tuesday, with a potential loss handing the title to Conestoga after its 3-2 win over Lower Merion Monday and a draw splitting the title. But Hotham kept those hypotheticals under wraps with her brace, both of which owed to the inspiration of Lizzie King.

The reigning Daily Times Player of the Year, long a poacher grabbing goals by the bunch, has added layers to her game this year with her ability to set up others. In the 53rd, as Springfield’s defense collapsed on her at the top of the box, King touched a diagonal feed into the left channel that Hotham ripped into the wide side of the net. King did the providing in the 73rd, her flicked-on pass of a Maddie Ruffini long ball springing Hotham. The first attempt was denied by a sprawling Cutcliff, but Hotham was quickest to the rebound, tucking it away to put the game out of reach.

“Amazing. She just knows where to play it exactly,” Hotham said of King. “I think that she’s assisted almost every goal I’ve had this year. She’s insane.”

King finished the scoring four minutes from time, fielding a long ball from Morgan Crain near the right corner flag, twisting a defender this way and that and rocketing a left-footed shot over Cutcliff to set off the celebrations.

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