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Anna Gray vies to get the ball as an opposing Bobcat player closes in, too.
Larry Griffin
lgriffin@thesmokymountaintimes.com
The Lady Devils soccer team played a frenetic game Monday, April 24, against the Blue Ridge Bobcats. Players zipped across the field and the ball was constantly in the fray of kicks and movement. The Lady Devils took a 4-1 win at the end.
As the Bobcats were about to score a goal early in the first half, goalkeeper Gracie Sutton was able to block it at the last second, snatching the ball away on a hair-thin margin.
Also early in the game, Swain’s Karena Cline found Cora Watkins with a cross and Watkins finished it with a goal. Then Cline settled a ball from the opposing goalkeeper – chipping it over her head from 30 yards out to get another goal.
The second half of the game saw Blue Ridge scoring their lone goal of the night. Then, Cline found junior Anna Gray, who beat a few defenders and got the Lady Devils to 3-1 overall.
Finally, Mahala Bird found Mya Burrows-Kurr to get the ball past the Bobcats’ goalkeeper, finishing the scoring with a 4-1 total.
Anna Gray led defense with nine clears/steals, while Rose Carson had six and Sophie Matz and Emmie Fuller got five. Gray was the player of the game, with Head Coach Scott Cline saying she “was put in some 1v1 pressure situations against one of the best players in our conference and she did an amazing job.”
The team also won 3-1 over the Smoky Mountain Mustangs on Friday, April 21, reversing course from their last meeting last year, where the Mustangs won.
According to Scott Cline, this was the first time the Lady Devils have beaten the Mustangs in six games they’ve played now.
The game saw the Mustangs scoring first within 10 minutes of the game starting, but the scoreboard didn’t see much other action for a while, with that being the only goal scored by either team in the first half.
But then the Lady Devils came back strong in the second half, with Watkins crossing the ball to Burrows-Kurr for a goal, and then 12 minutes after that, Watkins found Isabella Walker for a second goal.
Then with two minutes left in the game, Burrows-Kurr passed the ball to Karena Cline, who scored from 20 yards out.
Scott Cline said the game was a strong one for them overall.
“We played a good game throughout. We just happened to let one slip through early,” said Cline. “In the second half the girls came out composed and ready to score some goals. It was great to see how confident we played.”
Gray led defense with 10 clears/steals, followed by Matz with nine and Elke Reinert with eight.
Matz was the player of the game, with Scott Cline saying she “really stepped up.”
Both games, Scott Cline said, were among the team’s best all season.
“The last two games have been some of the best games we have played all season. We have played composed and as a team,” he said. “It has been great to see how well the ball has been moving all around the field.”
The next game will see the Lady Devils pitted against Highlands on Thursday, April 27, weather permitted, for a 6 p.m. match up.
The team has an 8-0 conference record and their overall record is 10-3-1.