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Panthers take two of first three in return to Division III

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Johnston girls’ soccer coach Tim Sprouls thought his team could have scored a few more goals in Tuesday’s win over Classical.

Considering the last two years, it’s nice to have that kind of complaint.

After two winless seasons in Division II, the Panthers are back in Division III and already making the most of it. They dropped their season opener to North Providence but bounced back to beat Tolman 7-3 on Friday for the program’s first league victory since 2011. On Monday, they rallied from a 1-0 deficit to beat Classical 3-2.

There’s still a sense that things can get better – like the goals Johnston missed out on Tuesday – but the victories and the expectation of more success already represent a welcome change.

“We had a lot of opportunities that we didn’t take advantage of, so hopefully we’ll keep growing. But we’re doing what we want to do – ball control, playing smart,” Sprouls said. “Sometimes we just need a little extra to convert, but we’re right there. I’m pleased with our performance. I don’t have anything critical, except that we just have to improve a little bit.”

That’s a position Johnston hoped to be in this season. Last year, improvement was steady but the results never followed. No matter how much better Johnston’s brand of soccer was, it didn’t seem to matter against the Division II competition.

Johnston’s return to D-III didn’t get off to the best of starts, with North Providence beating the Panthers 4-0 last Wednesday, but that wasn’t a sign of things to come. Johnston broke out for seven goals in the victory over Tolman, which ended a 28-match winless streak.

Natalie DeAngelis had a hat trick to lead the charge for the Panthers, while Leah Gravel, Zoe Griffin, Danielle DeAngelis and Renee DeAngelis had one goal apiece. Danielle DeAngelis and Lindsey Frein each picked up an assist. Amber Dion made two saves in net.

“We have a lot to work on, but they’re starting to build confidence,” Sprouls said. “I feel good. I’m enjoying their performances.”

With one streak over, the Panthers set out to start a winning one on Tuesday when they visited Classical. It didn’t look good early, as the Purple scored in the 13th minute after a failed clear by Dion.

But the Purple goal seemed to jumpstart the Panthers. They created two chances in the next three minutes and broke through in the 19th minute. Danielle DeAngelis floated a long crossing pass from the right sideline into the box, where Natalie DeAngelis beat a defender, tracked down the ball and chipped it past the goalie for the equalizer.

The game remained tied into halftime, but Johnston didn’t waste much time taking control in the second. In the 46th minute, Danielle DeAngelis lofted a pass from the right side into the box. Jocelyn Cabral stepped in front of a defender to win the ball then found herself with a wide open look. She nailed it to give Johnston a 2-1 lead.

Just a minute later, the Panthers delivered a near carbon copy of that play, with the same result. This time, Lauren Tedesco played the ball in, and Danielle DeAngelis slid in front of the defense to win it. She knocked a shot into the net to make it 3-1.

“That’s what we’ve been trying to do,” Sprouls said. “This team has turned from the corner. The history of what we do is kind of kick the ball down the field and hope for the best. We’ve gotten away from that. Our passes have a purpose. It’s part of the plan. I’m very pleased with them.”

The game tightened up almost immediately when Classical scored on a penalty kick, after a foul in the box. The Panthers missed on some golden opportunities to regain some breathing room – with Gravel twice hitting the cross-bar – but Johnston’s defense didn’t need extra help anyway. Led by Christina Hardman and Jenna Pizzi, the back four kept Classical scoreless the rest of the way, despite giving up four corner kicks. In net, Dion finished with nine saves.

“It was nerve-wracking there at the end, but I’m glad we came away with the win,” Sprouls said. “We deserved it.”

Johnston will try to continue its new streak when it visits Narragansett on Thursday at 4:15 p.m. On Monday, Johnston will visit defending D-III champion West Warwick at 5 p.m.

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