Women’s soccer suffers first loss of year

This archived article was written by: Megan Fietkau

Blood was pumping and hearts were racing during two-intense weekends of back-to-back home games for the Lady Eagles. As the women’s soccer team fought their way through four conference games, positivity is still simmering on the surface.
The first weekend (Sept. 23-24) was played against Sheridan Community College and Colorado Northwest Community College. The Eagles defeated SCC 2-1 and shut out CNCC 3-0.
Due to inclement weather and dangerous field conditions, the game against SCC was moved to Carbon High School just a few blocks east of the college. With the disadvantage of a smaller field, the Eagles took some time to adjust. However in the pouring rain, freshman Hilary Nice scored two goals leading the team to victory.
The second game against CNCC was filled with sunshine and a dry-playing field. Within minutes of the first half, two Eagle goals were scored by a couple breakaway one-on-ones with the keeper. In the second half, a third goal was scored by freshman Tiana Sekona.
Although the Eagles won the game by three points, head coach Ammon Bennett was unsatisfied with the effort. At the end of the game, he told the players “we can’t coast anymore, we have to work.”
The second weekend (Sept. 30-Oct. 1) the Eagles played their rivals: Snow College. The team lost their first match Friday with a score of 0-1 and ended the weekend on Saturday with a tie of 1-1.
With false anticipations of the skill the Badgers possessed, the Eagles started the Friday game off hesitantly and “messy,” said freshman captain Gabriella Sorenson.
“If we lose this game, it will be from a set piece,” Bennett told the bench right before the game went into overtime.
With tired legs and an unfortunate turn of events, Bennett’s prediction was right.
At the two-minute mark in the first round of overtime, the Eagles gave up a 30-yard free kick in their defensive third. A Badger defender released a right-footed shot sending the ball over the defensive wall. Just shy of the slippery fingertips of keeper Shyanne Jones, the ball dropped into the upper left corner of the Eagle’s goal.
With heads down and emotions low, the Eagles carried their first loss off the field.
Although the game resulted in an undesirable score, the women quickly started mentally preparing for the next game. “Sometimes a loss is the best way to get us back our fire,” Sorenson said.
The second game against the Badger’s started out the same way the first game ended.
Within the first 20 minutes of the match, the Eagle’s let in another free kick from a 25-yard shot outside the 18-yard-penalty box. At that point, the Badgers had dominion over the game.
Eighteen minutes in to the second half, a cross was given by freshman Ryan Virgil from the left side of the field. A shot was taken by freshman Samantha Hall creating frenzy in the Badger-goal box. With a ricochet from the keeper, Sorenson was able to skid the ball into the goal, throwing the Eagles into yet another overtime.
As the players, coaches and fans were holding their breath and biting their fingernails, the Eagles finished the game with a tie in double overtime. With sore bodies and exhaustion, the final score was 1-1 leading the Eagles into a season record of 8-1-2.
“I’m proud of the tie we pulled out [and] I’m excited for the rest of the season,” Sorenson said.
Now, at the beginning of a new week, the team is fired up and ready to train to “learn to fight the next fight,” Bennett says.
The Eagle’s will host Colorado Northwest Community College this weekend (October 7-8) at 2 p.m. both days.