The Hornets defeated District 12 foe Willard 2-1, via Penalty Kicks, in their first game of the season Monday evening. The game was won as goalkeeper Laurie Orr stepped up and stopped 3 penalty kicks while the Hornets kickers were scoring 2. When the fourth Tiger shot went wide, the Hornet’s had their first win of the season!
It was not an easy game as the Tigers came out hard to open the match. Despite the pressure, the defense remained calm and more importantly, worked hard to cover their teammates and clear loose balls from the penalty area. The tide turned when the sophomore Kimberly Moore came up the left side in support of the attack and was able to run into the box and get a shot off that required a good save by the Tiger’s keeper. That attack showed the team that they were up to the challenge and the game soon became a back-and-forth affair as both squads worked to get the important first goal.
The Hornets broke through in the 47th minute courtesy of sophomore Cassie Farrell and senior Courtney Busby. Midfielders Raechal Gramm and Shanon Thomas combined to first win a 50/50 ball in the middle of the field before then sending Busby down the right side in attack. With the Tiger’s already wary of her speed and aggressiveness, Courtney found space to get to the corner before sending a cross into the box that was run onto perfectly by Farrell. Her resultant header got past the keeper and the Hornets had their first lead of the season.
The Tiger’s began to battle back and put a significant amount of pressure on the defense but the back line, led by senior Olivia Tinkler, was up to the challenge. The first challenge saw junior Danielle Dorsey come across from the right side covering her teammates before clearing a hard shot to the near post wide. Soon afterwards goalie Orr was called on to handle a difficult shot that she tipped up onto the crossbar before corralling the rebound. Junior Ali Randolph was constant motion throughout the game working to blunt the Tiger’s attack.
The game was forced into OT when the Tiger’s scored on a direct kick from 22 yards out on a perfectly placed ball beyond the reach of the keeper. The goal was a result of a foul outside the box that was representative of the hard nosed, direct play the Hornet’s showed this evening. The resilience the girls showed to get through the two OT periods without giving up another goal, followed by their performance in the penalty kicks, led to a well-deserved win.
I look forward to seeing more of this team as the season progresses! Ole @ SGFsoccer.com
