Lady Hornets end extended layoff, cruise to second league win
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SHERIDAN — Caroline Campbell had a hat trick and Anna Lowery scored two goals as the Bryant Lady Hornets returned to action after a long layoff with a 7-0 win over the Sheridan Lady Yellowjackets on Friday night.
It was the first action for the Lady Hornets since winning at Benton on March 18. The win improved their record to 6-0-2 overall and 2-0 in South Conference play going into a match at home against Texarkana on Tuesday.
The junior varsity also eased to victory, 8-0.
“We came out a little flat in the first half and we played kind of spastic,” said Lady Hornets coach Julie Long. “But, overall, they worked hard and created some good chances.
“The girls are staying focused and constantly asking me questions on different things to do so they aren’t getting complacent in learning different attacks and different styles,” she added. “I’m pleased with their work ethic.
We still really need to focus on playing with high intensity and staying under control even when playing at that level,” the coach related. “We will keep focusing on that throughout the week as well as maintaining our shape and spacing. Those seem to be our struggles right now. As long as they keep working, they are headed in the right direction.”
Campbell scored the first goal of the contest less than three minutes in. Lowery added her first score about four minutes later off an assist from Rori Whittaker.
That duo reversed roles just over three minutes after that with Whittaker knocking in a kick off Lowery’s assist to make it 3-0 with 29:52 left in the half. At 24:26, Campbell’s second goal occurred with Lowery on the assist.
It stayed 4-0 until Campbell found the range again, this time off a feed from Hadley Dickinson, at the 10:43 mark.
Lowery’s second goal was assisted by Jacie McMahan five minutes into the second half. With the mercy rule in effect (time cut in half), Kierra Solinger capped off the scoring with a goal off an assist by Taylor Matthews.
In the JV match, Whitney Brown, Natalie Pierce and Hailey Levinson each had two goals. Matthews and Ashlie Sparks added a goal apiece.
Brown had the first two goals with Pierce assisting on the first at the 28:30 mark. The second goal came at 25:14. At 20:32, it was Pierce who scored off a feed from Brown. Sparks found the back of the net at 12:46 and in short order Matthews and Levinson knocked in goals, both off assists from Brown.
At 6:30 left, Pierce punched in her second goal and, at the 1:30 mark, Levinson finished off the victory with a goal off an assist from Sparks.