Cyclones fall to Vikings’ second-half surge
Published 5:04 pm Wednesday, April 9, 2025
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Cyclones’ Thomas Lambert (4) scores on this shot from 15 yards out as Tennessee High goalkeeper Milo Ochoa (1) comes out of the net to try and tackle Lambert before the shot, with the Vikings’ Ryan Fish (3) trailing the play. The goal came with just 5:15 left in the first half and gave Elizabethton a 1-0 lead at the break Tuesday evening.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent Thomas Lambert’s (4) Cyclone teammates celebrate his goal with 5:15 left in the first half. His goal gave Elizabethton a 1-0 lead at the break Tuesday evening at Citizens Bank Stadium.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Cyclones’ Reece Vernon (10) delivers a near-perfect corner kick over Tennessee High goalkeeper Milo Ochoa (1) to Drake Teague (17), whose header sails just over the crossbar with around 32 minutes left in the match.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Cyclones’ Jackson Miller (12) tries to deliver a bicycle kick on goal off a rebound on a corner kick midway through the first half against Tennessee High.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Cyclones’ Thomas Lambert (4) dribbles past Tennessee High’s Connor Broglio (10) just outside the goal box midway through the first half.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Cyclones’ Drake Teague (17) and Tennessee High’s Jacob Phillips (12) clash as they both attack the ball near midfield midway through the first half.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent Carlos Rodriguez (25) looks for a centering pass against Tennessee High’s Mason Harper (11) as the Cyclones try to press a fast break near the end of the first half.
Larry N. Souders/Star Correspondent The Cyclones’ Grady Swearingin (14) executes a perfect sliding tackle as he strips the ball away from Tennessee High’s Landon Chavez (22) just outside Elizabethton’s goal box early in the second half Tuesday evening.
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Star Correspondent
In their last six games, the Elizabethton Cyclones boys soccer program is 1-4-1 with no home victories, and on Tuesday at Citizens Bank Stadium, the Cyclones fell 2-1 to conference foe Tennessee High.
“We just want to play the style they want to play,” Cyclones head coach Doug Schulz said. “We are always in a hurry to try to get to the goal, and we don’t have to be. Hopefully we will learn something from this loss.”
The teams went back and forth for most of the first half with neither side getting an edge on the other or producing an effective attack. Then in the 35th minute of the first half, junior Drake Teague had possession inside the 50-yard line and spotted sophomore Thomas Lambert on the far sideline.
Teague placed a perfect crossing pass that Lambert ran down and continued into the Vikings’ penalty area, where he beat Vikings goalkeeper Milo Ochoa with a low blast that found the net for a 1-nil EHS advantage.
The Vikings came out in the second half with an attacking mentality, firing several shots at Cyclones keeper Tucker Taylor. In the 48th minute, Josh Lewellyn scored to tie the score at 1-1. Lewellyn found a soft spot in the Cyclones’ back line and took a pass from Ryan Fish and struck a low shot that found the net.
“We weren’t physical, and have not tackled well,” Schulz said. “As a team, we are not being physical and not tackling.”
The Cyclones (3-4-2 overall, 1-2-1 conference) had several good-looking opportunities in the second half, but offside penalties and errant passes sent too far for the attacking player to reach were common and stymied the offense.
“We had some passes that were off target when we tried to play through,” Schulz said.
In the 74th minute, a chance to clear a ball in the penalty area was misplayed, and freshman Holden Lester took advantage and fired a left-footed shot that beat Taylor low and to his left to give THS a 2-1 advantage.
EHS was held without a shot over the last six minutes of the match.
Tennessee High 2, Elizabethton 1
Tennessee High 0 2 — 2
Elizabethton 1 0 — 1
Scoring Summary
First Half
E – Lambert (assist Teague), 35:00
Second Half
T – Lewellyn (assist Fish), 48:00
T – Lester (unassisted), 74:00
