Towson’s Koto Davis may have celebrated her 18th birthday during the Generals’ 4-0 victory over Dulaney on Thursday, but the senior was the one giving out gifts.
Classmate Lila Minton was the first to get a nice surprise when she received a long pass from Davis near the far post — from 40 yards out — and pushed it in the air toward the goal. After the ball popped free, she converted the rebound for a 1-0 lead midway through the first half.
Davis set up Minton’s second goal less than four minutes later with a perfect delivery to the far post on a corner kick.
Davis and Minton are starting defenders for the Generals (4-1) and keys to the team’s set pieces.
“We definitely have worked on our energy and our finishing and crashing the goal,” Minton said. “That’s kind of something we have really been trying to focus on — don’t leave until the ball is in the back of the net.”
When Davis wasn’t kicking pinpoint darts to her teammates, she was weaving through the midfield with ease to keep the Lions from getting any legitimate chances all game.
“We were definitely pushing her up to take advantage and exploit that space because she can take it in the midfield and take it up the field,” Towson coach Lauren Hanley said.
Davis has no problem leaving the defensive side of the field, especially with center back Corinne Windisch still roaming around.
“We know the rest of our defensive line and the rest of our team knows how to adjust to us and most teams don’t expect it coming,” Davis said. “So I feel like it’s our team’s strong point to like have a defense that attacks all the time cause they never it’s coming and we feel comfortable.”
Towson pushed the lead to three with Davis sending a long pass ahead to sophomore Gia Celenza, who converted the breakaway with two minutes left in the first half.
“The goals we’ve scored this year have really been really great goals, like team effort, a lot of building out of the back for the goals, like one-two touch passing, girls up top making great runs, pulling defenders out wide, creating space,” Hanley said. “We just have a really great team chemistry this year and everyone is just working hard, working together. We all know our goals, it’s just one game at a time.”
Dulaney (1-4) adjusted in the second half, allowing only one goal.
“The second half was better,” said Dulaney coach Maurice Boylan, who praised the defensive effort of hard-nosed senior defender Becca Melito. “She’s a great player.”
The Generals’ last goal came off a corner kick from Ariana Defino to Abigail Bull, who headed it home.
“We tell them attack that ball in the air, attack, attack, attack and that’s exactly what they did,” Hanley said.
Towson has only allowed one goal this season, coming in their lone loss, 1-0 to Century.
“Everything we ask them to do they have been doing it and I think it just really shows our strong team chemistry,” Hanley said. “They are working together and everyone is excited and pushing each other and encouraging each other.”
And Davis got exactly what she wanted for her team on her birthday.
“I just wanted everyone to be hyped and be happy and like everyone’s happy when we win and we play good, so when we scored those first goals like the bench and everyone went wild, so that’s what I wanted,” she said. “I just like everyone to be close and to win obviously, cause that feels good.”
On the other side, winning is not the main objective for Boylan’s squad.
“I’m not worried about wins and losses,” he said. “This is not a win and loss team to worry about.”
With 13 new players, including four freshmen, three that started against Towson, he’s more focus on building his team and getting maximum effort.
“They worked hard, that’s all I care about,” he said. “They had a good attitude and worked hard.”
Towson 3 1 — 4
Dulaney 0 0— 0
Goals: TOW-Lila Minton 2, Gia Celenza 1, Abigail Bull 1 Assists: TOW-Koto Davis 2, Ariana Defino 1 Saves: DUL-Emma Campbell 1 Tow-Madden Sysantos 0, Emma Damareck 0.
Staff photo by Craig Clary
Koto Davis clears a ball from the backfield in Towson’s 4-0 victory over Dulaney. (Craig Clary/Staff)
