Game Lady Cyclones fall to Tennessee High
Published 10:16 am Friday, September 4, 2020
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StarPhoto/Larry N. Souders
Elizabethton’s Maddie O’Quinn (9) steps in front of a pass from the Lady Vikings Amelia Teri (11) near mid-field in the first half.
StarPhoto/Larry N. Souders
Elizabethton’s Kaiya Simmons (21) battles the Lady Vikings Delaney Powers (9) for control of the ball near mid-field early in the first half.
StarPhoto/Larry N. Souders
Elizabethton’s Cadie Digby (18) comes flying in for a header, but mistimes it, to keep the Lady Vikings Amelia Teri (11) from getting the ball at mid-field.
StarPhoto/Larry N. Souders
The Lady Cyclones Shayla Orellana (13) prepares to drive a free-kick downfield from deep in Tennessee High territory in the first half.
StarPhoto/Larry N. Souders
Lady Cyclone goalie Morgan Heaton blocks Tennessee High forward Sophie Arnold’s (2) header toward the goal off a corner kick.
StarPhoto/Larry N. Souders
The Lady Cyclones Tessa Lamb (10) steps in and intercepts a pass intended for Tennessee High’s Abbie Chandler (10) near mid-field in the first half.
BY ALLEN LAMOUNTAIN
STAR CORRESPONDENT
BRISTOL – With three starters down – or hobbled – the Elizabethton Lady Cyclones found a way to stay competitive with Tennessee High on Thursday evening at Stone Castle in girls soccer. The Lady Vikings scored on two set pieces and miscommunication on the Cyclones backline and took a 3-1 win.
Assistant coach Danny Birkner took the helm as head coach Bill McClay tended to a family matter and he was impressed with the tenacious defense the girls showed saying, “Morgan really had some key saves,” Birkner said.
“Kaylee Cranford made an excellent run back on a breakaway to recover and she took it and dropped it right back to Morgan and we cleared it. I asked what happened on that one breakaway where we had nobody in the middle and they told me they heard offside, but it wasn’t on that girl and they stopped. They told me it was their fault, they heard offside and stopped.”
That play came in the 56th minute when junior Sophie Arnold dribbled in the middle toward the EHS penalty area. On her left was freshman Reese Marshall who was called offside but since she wasn’t in possession of the ball, play continued.
Arnold drove into the box and fired a hard low shot past Heaton for a 3-nil Vikings lead.
The Vikings scored in the first half at the four-minute mark off a corner kick set piece that saw Heaton make a save but she did not control it and the ball was unable to be cleared before Marshall found the back of the net in the scrum.
That lead held through the first half and in the 47th minute, another corner kick was capitalized on by the Vikings as it was Arnold who this time came away with the loose ball in the scoring area.
That made it a 2-nil contest but in the 65th minute, the Cyclones (2-4 overall) broke through when Kaiya Simmons slipped the ball past Vikings goalkeeper Briget Flaherty after THS was unable to clear the box.
Freshman Mollie Johnson was in on the play as well as she took the ball into the penalty area but was cut off by a Viking defender but the ball came to Simmons – just to her right – and she scored on a left-footed shot.
“We used our heads and had opportunities to score,” Birkner said. “We put Kaiya up there on top just to try something and it worked. But, the difference was what really helped tonight, is the girls stepped up and played defense.
“Shayla (Orellana) went to the middle and she really helped on that number two (Arnold) and pressured her when she got the ball.”
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Tennessee High 3-1
EHS 0 1 – 1
THS 1 2 – 3
FIRST HALF
T – Marshall (assist Teri) 4:00
SECOND HALF
T – Arnold (assist Teri) 47:00
T – Arnold (unassisted) 56:00
E – Simmons (unassisted) 65:00
