EHS blanks Lady Buccaneers, 5-0
Published 11:56 pm Thursday, September 17, 2020
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Photo By Larry N. Souders
Elizabethton’s Mollie Johnson (3) leaps over Jr Lady Bucs goalie Breeze Ryan (99) as she dives on the ball for the save, just outside the goalie box, preventing Johnson’s shot on goal early in the first half.
StarPhoto/Larry N. Souders
The Lady Cyclones Kaiya Simmons (21) scores Elizabethton’s first goal of the night from just inside the goalie box at the 33:27 mark of the first half.
StarPhoto/Larry N. Souders
The Lady Cyclones Tessa Lamb (10) fires a shot on goal from just inside the penalty box early in the first quarter.
StarPhoto/Larry N. Souders
The Lady Cyclones Maddie O’Quinn (9)fires a corner kick toward the goal late in the first half.
StarPhoto/Larry N. Souders
Elizabethton’s McKendra Norris (5) fires a leading inbounds pass to teammate Emma O’Quinn (14) mid-way through the first half.
StarPhoto/Larry N. Souders
The Lady Cyclones Dana Holsclaw (16) shot on goal is deflected straight up by University High’s Blake Johnson (14) mid-way through the first half.
BY ALLEN LAMOUNTAIN
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
The steady rain that came down on Citizens Bank Stadium on Thursday night did nothing to dampen the Elizabethton Lady Cyclones soccer team.
The Lady Cyclones took a 5-nil non-conference victory over University High with freshman forward Kaiya Simmons scoring a hat trick.
“We kept the through balls and connected our passes,” Simmons said. “Generally we are communicating well and we have come together as a team a lot better.”
The Cyclones got on the board in the 7th minute on an unassisted goal from freshman Kaiya Simmons. EHS (4-5 overall) struck again in the 19th minute with junior Maddie O’Quinn putting a low shot past Lady Buccaneers goalkeeper Breeze Ryan for a 2-nil Cyclones advantage.
For the second consecutive match, the Cyclones controlled the action firing seven first-half shots on the UH goal to zero for the Lady Bucs.
The second half saw freshmen Mollie Johnson and Simmons on a breakaway toward the Bucs goal from where Johnson fired a shot that was blocked by Ryan but not contained and Simmons nudged the loose ball past her for a 3-nil EHS lead in the 53rd minute of play.
O’Quinn continued her torrid goal-scoring pace with her second of the match in the 66th minute. O’Quinn has scored five goals in the last two matches including a hat trick against Sullivan South on Tuesday evening.
Simmons would collect the hat trick for EHS – the second for the team in as many matches – in the 70th minute on a breakaway goal. For the match, the Cyclones outshot UH 12-2 with Carmen Ellis getting both of those for the Bucs.
“Any time you are two-nil on a team you have to be pretty happy,” Lady Cyclones head coach Bill McClay said. “We possessed the ball well, we defended well, went for the ball in the air, and denied them what they were trying to do.
“Late in the game, we lost our shape a little bit and gave them opportunities. (Ellis) was going after McKendra in the first half and then they moved her to the other side, but we did all right.
“Just some little things, especially on that player. We stabbed at the ball and instead of waiting for help we tried to win the ball and that’s what she wants you to do then she’s by you.
“But overall, it was good, but we have to fix some things defensively because you won’t get away with those things with other teams.”
—
EHS 5-0
UH 0 0 – 0
EHS 2 3 – 5
Scoring summary
First Half
E – Simmons (unassisted) 7:00
E – M. O’Quinn (unassisted) 19:00
Second Half
E – Simmons (assist Johnson) 53:00
E – M. O’Quinn (unassisted) 66:00
E – Simmons (unassisted) 70:00
