Lady Hornets shut out El Dorado
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By JANNA LAGRONE
Special to the Times
EL DORADO — The 2-3 Bryant Lady Hornets soccer team shut out the El Dorado Lady Cats 2-0 on Thursday, March 7, in their AAAAA-South Conference opener.
Bryant dominated the game with speed and aggressiveness. The team looked great on the field despite arriving 20 minutes late after a long bus ride.
The Lady Hornets beat the Lady Cats to the ball the majority of the game, and the defense allowed very few shots on goal.
At the end of the first half, freshman Laura Mackey scored the first goal from 12 yards out down the left side and the girls went into halftime confidently. Mackey got clear with the help of a nice pass from senior Shannon Baker.
In planning the second half, head coach Doug Maxwell demanded, “By 15 minutes, I want one (goal) in.”
Roughly 17 minutes into the second half, Baker scored the second and last goal, breaking free from two defenders just outside the penalty box and driving the ball in past the out-stretched goalkeeper down the right side.
El Dorado picked up their game in the second half but, despite the increased speed and aggression, Bryant prevented the ball from entering the goal. Sophomore goalkeeper Michelle Dinsmore stopped 11 shots on goal for the evening.
Senior Kim Nixon suffered an injured knee after receiving a kick in the kneecap, but will return for Bryant’s home game against Sheridan on Friday, March 15.
The win sent spirits soaring for the Lady Hornets. “Our season began tonight,” said Nixon of the conference victory, “and we started off with a shutout. That’s how it’s going to be for the rest of the season.”
“The difference for us was in our passing and communication,” said Maxwell. “Everyone on the field was contributing and making selfless passes to the open field. We controlled the pace of the game for the majority of the night. Our defense has been strong in the second half all season, but (against El Dorado) we played a complete game. Offensively, we were able to utilize the open field to create shot opportunities for ourselves.
“El Dorado is a very well-coached and talented team that is one of the top girls teams from the (AAAAA) South,” Maxwell noted. “I am proud of the way our girls stayed mentally alert and stayed with our game strategy.”
