by Bryce Phillips

Star Staff

bryce.phillips@elizabethton.com

The Jr. Lady Cyclones were scoring at will Monday night as they blanked the Pioneers 2, 8-0, at Brown-Childress Stadium.

T.A. Dugger started their score in the first half, with both Lexie Brown and Maggie Johnson booting in first half goals for the Jr. Lady Cyclones.

In the second half, TAD picked up the pace. At the 33 minute mark, Brown got the momentum rolling for TAD when she kicked in a goal from a tough angle on the right side of the target to put TAD up 3-0.

The match went scoreless for 15 minutes, but the Jr. Lady Cyclones kept the Lady Pioneers on their toes, keeping the ball deep in Pioneers’ territory. A combination of good passing and physical defense backs, the Jr. Lady Cyclones were able to keep attacking the Pioneers’ goal.

“They were a lot more physical in this game than in past games,” TAD coach Shelby Kind said. “They put a lot more passes together. That is something we work on every season. We are not just kicking the ball wherever; we are making good passes, which is helping us stay up there on the other team’s side of the field.”

The scoring drought came to an end at the 48 minute mark, when Drea Owens connected a pass to Kaylen Shell, who fired in the shot from close range to move the Jr. Lady Cyclones to 4-0. Shell wasn’t done scoring; she netted TAD’s next two goals, driving the ball from mid-field into firing on both goals. The on-fire Cyclone finished the evening with four goals.

“She is always such a hustler,” Kind said about Shell. “She never gives up. When she comes off the field she is always asking what she can improve or what she needs to do next.

“She runs the middle of the field, communicating with everyone, and letting everyone know where they need to be.”

Goal No. 7 for TAD came with just roughly two minutes left in play when Brown tossed in the ball to Norris who was able to drive the ball to the goal and find the net. The final goal of the match came from Shell, who again drove from midfield to fire in the shot.

This season, the Jr. Lady Cyclones have won most of their matches; the only game they didn’t win ended in a draw with Liberty Bell – the one team the Jr. Lady Cyclones are anxious to beat.

“They always seem to be our No. 1 competitor,” Kind said. “We have told the girls to practice in these games what they want to do when they play Liberty Bell. They have always had their eye on beating Liberty Bell.”

The Jr. Lady Cyclones will be back on the soccer pitch this Wednesday as they host a match against the Blazers 1.