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Rose Carson clashes with a Cherokee Braves player at Monday’s game.
Larry Griffin
lgriffin@thesmokymountaintimes.com
The Lady Devils soccer team had a tumultuous match on Monday in Cherokee, winning 1-0 in a game that was full of tension and action. The Lady Devils scored the winning, lone goal with just one minute left to go in the game.
The ball was all over the field as players chased it with a ferocity like predators chasing prey. Several times, the players clustered around the ball as they tussled and vied for it, weaving around one another with narrow margins. A few times, they fell or were pushed down amid the struggle.
The first half of the game was entirely scoreless, and the Lady Devils were primarily on offense, taking 25 shots over the course of the whole game.
Then the second half of the game was also unscored, until the literal final minute of the game, when Karena Cline took a throw in to Mahala Bird, who dropped the ball back to Cline. Then Cline beat a defender and took a shot from outside the 18-yard box. The ball soared over the Braves’ goalkeeper’s arm and got the Devils their one point, winning them the game.
Head Coach Scott Cline said they were aware how physical and defensive the Braves were.
“We knew going into the game that they would be both very physical and a tough defensive team,” he said. “We also knew that if we kept shooting that we would eventually get a goal.”
Sophie Matz and Anna Gray led in defense, each having five clears/steals, while Karena Cline got four and Rose Carson had two. Gracie Sutton in the goal box had one save.
Cline was named Player of the Game because she was able to get the winning shot, with Coach Cline saying she played tough, “kept shooting in the game and one finally went in for us.”
The next soccer match will see the Lady Devils hosting Tri-County tonight (Thursday, May 4) at 6 p.m., with Senior Recognition at 5:45 p.m. On Friday, May 5, the team will travel to Highlands for a makeup game at 6:30 p.m.
The final regular season game will see the Lady Devils hosting Murphy at 6 p.m. Monday, May 8.