Lady Cyclones fall to Tennessee High, 4-1
Published 12:36 am Saturday, September 14, 2019
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Star Photo/Brandon Hyde Elizabethton's Maddie O'Quinn keeping possession of the ball during the game on Thursday night.
Star Photo/Brandon Hyde McKendra Norris makes a run to open space for the Lady Cyclones.
Star Photo/Brandon Hyde Abbie Addington takes a corner kick for Elizabethton during action Thursday night.
Star Photo/Brandon Hyde With focus and determination on her face, Dana Holsclaw plows towards Tennessee High's half of the field looking for an open pass.
BY ALLEN LAMOUNTAIN
STAR CORRESPONDENT
For 60 minutes on Thursday evening, the Elizabethton Lady Cyclones girls soccer team went toe-to-toe with 3A Tennessee High.
The Lady Vikings (4-3-1 overall) had a little too much scoring punch, however, tallying a pair of goals in the final 20 minutes in scoring a 4-1 victory over EHS at Citizens Bank Stadium.
Tennessee High scored in the sixth minute of this match on a goal from Sophie Arnold who scored from the left-wing on a fine feed from Emma Arnold to make it a 1-nil contest.
In the 11th minute, Mya Howren scored with Sophie Arnold on the assist for a two-goal Vikings advantage.
EHS (5-2 overall) got one back in the 14th minute from senior forward Lexi Brown who fielded a bouncing ball near the Vikings penalty area and headed the ball forward to herself and let fly with a left-footed shot that beat THS goalkeeper Bridget Flaherty to make it a 2-1 match.
“Through 60 minutes to have it at 2-1 and in the first half we had several opportunities,” Lady Cyclones head coach Bill McClay said. “We had a couple of corner kicks that could have bounced another way and I thought Morgan had another great game.
“We could have manufactured a few more chances for ourselves but, more in the second half, the girls weren’t moving ahead.”
Freshman goalkeeper Morgan Heaton was spectacular stopping three breakaway rushes in one-on-one situations, held her line and stonewalled the Vikings shot to keep the Cyclones in the match and frustrate her opponent.
Heaton also turned away a penalty kick early in the second half as well to keep it a 2-1 match.
EHS had eight shots on goal and one they would like to have back as Brown got free on a breakaway but fired high and her shot sailed over the crossbar.
The Cyclones had just three shots on goal in the second half while the Vikings peppered Heaton with nine second-half shots including two breakaways that she made the play on.
“At the beginning of the second half we had the ball in their end we just couldn’t get a real good shot off,” McClay said. “Overall, I thought it was a good game. Our only two losses have come from 3A schools.
“The reason we play them is that its a good learning tool in that it shows you where you need to improve. We are unbeaten in our conference and if we can get past (Sullivan) South next week it puts us in position to have a home playoff game.”
In the 61st minute, Sophie Arnold scored on a questionable goal as she fired a low shot that Heaton went to the turf to stop but the ball either trickled a little out of Heaton’s grasp or Arnold struck the ball while in her grasp.
Either way, the ball went into the net for a 3-1 Vikings lead.
THS tallied one more goal in the 76th minute with Riley Miller getting one past Heaton to her left and in the top shelf.
—
Tennessee High 4-1
THS 2 2 – 4
EHS 1 0 – 1
Scoring summary
First Half
T – S. Arnold (assist E. Arnold) 6:00
T – Howren (assist S. Arnold) 11:00
E – Brown (unassisted) 14:00
Second Half
T – S. Arnold (unassisted) 61:00
T – Miller (unassisted) 76:00
