Sometimes in soccer a great set piece can make all the difference. Montoursville showcased that Saturday night at Loyalsock’s Kenneth M. Robbins Stadium against the Lancers.

Ten minutes into the game, Montoursville’s Mackenzie Cohick lined up to take a direct kick from outside of the 18 and sent a perfectly placed shot just out of the reach of Loyalsock’s Rylie French.

Then early in the second half, Montoursville sent in a beautiful corner kick that Cohick sent into the goal toward the right post.

It highlighted Montoursville’s 4-0 win against rival Loyalsock on a chilly evening.

“We were happy to spread the ball around and play possession and just keep plugging away and the goals came for us thankfully,” Montoursville coach Vic Gorini said.

“I’m happy with our team. I thought they kept their shape defensively most of the night. The first set piece was just beautiful and there’s nothing anybody could have done to stop that. The penalty kick and direct kick (too),” Loyalsock coach Dan Solley said. “Just all in all, our girls played them pretty evenly, so I’m very proud of them.”

Montoursville (3-0) built up a 3-0 lead in the first half against the Lancers (0-2-2), scoring one goal off Cohick’s direct kick and had another come when Lily Saul buried a penalty kick to the right post for a 2-0 lead with 8 minutes, 56 seconds remaining until halftime.

Saul scored again when she got a ball just inside the 18 and from 15 yards out fired a shot to her left for a 3-0 lead with 5:15 until halftime.

The Warriors played well in the first half, routinely getting inside the 18 and firing shots as they had four first-half shots on goal — seven total shots — and defensively, limiting Loyalsock to just one shot which came from 25 yards out.

“Our defensive line returned (from last year), we’re using them in some other roles, but even the kids that have gone in, they got the structure and positioning well,” Gorini said. “They work really hard and play with a lot of pride. They’re not letting a lot of people score.”

Montoursville had a few chances in the first half to add to their lead. With 14:35 to play, Alexa Ulmer had a great header attempt from 10 yards out, but the shot went just wide to the left. Five minutes later, it was Saul who had a shot from 12 yards out that she sent low, but French did a solid job sliding and preventing the goal by blocking it.

The Warriors held a 10-4 shots on goal advantage Saturday.

“We’ve been using a lot of players every game, at least 26 players have gone into every game we’ve played so far,” Gorini said. “We’re trying to fine-tune some things and the kids are working really hard and coming together.

In the second half, the Lancers started getting more opportunities.

Loyalsock’s best chance to score came just three minutes into the second half when Loyalsock’s Jocelyn Cruz lined up to take a penalty kick. She fired a great high shot that hit off the crossbar, just coming up a few inches shy of a perfectly-placed goal. The shot stayed in played, and Loyalsock tried to follow it up with another high shot only to see it sail high.

“We changed our formation and it allowed our midfield to possess a little bit more and I think they made some substitutions that allowed us to have a little bit more freedom in the midfield,” Solley said.

In the second half, Montoursville had just one shot come from inside the 18 when Cohick scored off the corner kick.

“They obviously have a tough side to go up against and our girls, our defense pretty much short of the Central Columbia game, all season long we have been pretty stout and very organized,” Solley said. “Grace Baylor in the back has been stepping up as a really strong junior. Grace Boos also in the back has been really doing a fine job for us. I’m really happy with our defense. We still have some work to do with our own set pieces and attacks.”

Montoursville 4, Loyalsock 0

M–Mackenzie Cohick, 30:37. M–Lily Saul (penalty kick), 8:56. M–Saul, 5:15. M–Cohick, 32:47.

Shots: M 10, L 4. Corners: M 6, L 0. Saves: M 3 (Kierstyn Dawes 2, Anna Baylor 1), L 6 (Rylie French).

Records: Montoursville (3-0), Loyalsock (0-2-2).