CLARKSTON >> The Clarkston Everest Collegiate Mountaineers opened their revamped home field with a 3-1 win over the Madison Heights Bishop Foley Ventures on Thursday night.

Everest never trailed in this one. The Mountaineers got on the board midway through the first half when Maria Saad played a ball over the top that senior Erica Walker, a returning D4 first-team all-state selection, ran onto. She rounded the charging goalie, and scored into the empty net to make it 1-0 Everest.

“I think it just reminds the girls and gives them the confidence that ‘hey, we can do this’. Every coach wants to get up, get the first goal. It allows you to settle down. You get the nerves to settle, so that was big for us,” Mountaineers head coach Richard Cross said.

Walker’s goal came against the run of play as Bishop Foley had the wind at its back and controlled the action for much of the first half. The Ventures had eight shots on frame in the first half as they took advantage of the breeze to pin Everest in for long stretches.

Yet for all their possession and opportunities, the Ventures could not dent the scoreboard in the first half, and Everest maintained its 1-0 lead into halftime.

“We are a team that likes to possess and move the ball, so the more we are able to do that the more successful we are. We just weren’t connecting today,” Ventures head coach Julia Soratt said.

When the teams switched ends, it gave Everest the wind, and the Mountaineers needed just 68 seconds to take advantage with Walker centering a ball for Allison Schmitt, who settled the ball and ripped a shot home to double the Mountaineers’ lead.

Bishop Foley managed to pull one back on a penalty kick by Olivia Roye with 25:43 still to play. But that seemed to fire up the Mountaineers, who immediately created a couple of good chances and eventually paid one off when Lizzie Earnhardt set up Walker for a goal that was very similar to Walker’s first one.

From there, Everest was able to maintain enough possession to limit Bishop Foley’s shots and see off the game.

With the win, Everest improves to 2-0 overall and in the Catholic High School League AA Division. Next up for the Mountaineers is a non-league contest against the Romeo Summit Homeschoolers on Monday.

“I thought the girls played well, and I give it to Bishop Foley: they fought hard,” Cross said.

Bishop Foley (1-1 overall, 0-1 CHSL AA Division) also plays Monday when they make the short trip to Royal Oak Shrine to face the Knights in another divisional match up.

“It’s only been about two weeks. We’ve got a lot of veteran players, and a lot of newbies in a lot of different positions and just getting back into playing together. So it’s just been an adjustment for the girls, and hopefully they can start peaking soon,” Soratt said.