PITSBURG – Bryanna Diceanu’s record-setting performance led the Franklin Monroe girls soccer team to an 11-0 win against Yellow Springs in its sectional tournament opener on Monday in Pitsburg.
Diceanu scored six goals in the tournament game – three in the first half and three in the second half – to set FM’s single game goals record on Monday.
“She’s worked her butt off all year, and she deserves everything she gets,” Franklin Monroe girls soccer coach Scott Howell said. “A lot of times she’s the one out there killing herself when others aren’t. No matter what the score is it seems like she plays as hard as she can all the time so it’s kind of neat to see her have that happen.”
Diceanu’s performance knocked 2014 Franklin Monroe alumna Allyson Manning, who holds almost every Lady Jets scoring record, from atop the record books.
“Manning would tell you if it was going to happen it would be this player,” Howell said. “I’m not surprised. It happens. It’s kind of neat to see anybody have that good of game. I think Manning would give her a big hug and appreciate it because of how hard she had to work to get them records.”
It didn’t take long for the scoring to start for Franklin Monroe against Yellow Springs as Jessica Hinshaw put the Lady Jets up 1-0 less than eight minutes into the contest. Just over 10 minutes later Diceanu scored her first goal of the night to make it 2-0.
With less than eight minutes left in the half Franklin Monroe scored three more goals – two from Diceanu and one from Nicole Berry – to go into halftime up 5-0.
“We come out and played strong,” Howell said. “That team is not as strong as they’ve been in the past, but we played OK.”
In the opening minutes of the second half Hinshaw scored her second goal of the night to increase the FM lead to 6-0. Diceanu then scored again, and the lead was up to seven goals.
Moments later Lilee Fisher knocked the ball into the back of the net to make it 8-0, and a minute later Diceanu scored to increase the lead to 9-0.
With 11:07 left in the game Diceanu scored her sixth goal of the night, giving her a hat trick in both the first and second halves and a program record six goals in the game.
With less than four minutes remaining Hannah Staton scored the game’s final goal to make it 11-0.
“I thought that the field conditions kind of hindered you as far as your touch,” Howell said. “Combination play in the first half didn’t look very good, but in the second half it started to come. Played with some passion and played with a cause, I guess you would say. In the second half they played pretty good.”
Franklin Monroe, the ninth seed in its sectional tournament, now will advance to play No. 4 seed Preble Shawnee at 7 p.m. Thursday in Camden.
“We know we’ve got our hands full,” Howell said. “It’s going to be a fun game. We have a game plan, and we’re going to take it to them and see what happens.”
