Soccer is back at Fossil Ridge High School, as the girls team won their first home game 2-1 in a hard fought battle against the Windsor Wizards.

The Sabercats started the game off hot, with sustained offensive pressure to crumble the Windsor defense. That pressure paid off late in the first half as junior Amy Smith buried the first goal.

“To counter press and win the ball back and then quickly counter attack has always been our motto,” said head coach Kim Whisenant. “That helped us get that first score.”

Fossil continued to control the pace of play, keeping that 1-0 lead after 40 minutes of play. This was thanks in large part to their trio of offensive talent between Smith and sisters Abby and Kylie Ballek. The three players are a nightmare matchup for opposing defenses, scoring all but one of the Sabercats’ goals this season. 

Kylie Ballek broke through in the second half with a penalty kick goal, putting Fossil up two goals with 25 minutes remaining. 

Despite the deficit, Windsor refused to go away. They went on to push back late in the game, scoring with 15 minutes left to bring the Sabercat lead back to one. Both teams were prepped for this matchup, as these two teams have an intense rivalry due to their shared history.

“We know each other,” Whisenant said. “Kids playing the same club teams…even though we don’t play them in conference we always get up [for Windsor].”

However the Sabercats’ defense held strong, as freshman goalkeeper Shay Masters stonewalled the Wizards during the final 10 minutes to hold onto the win. 

Fossil Ridge continues their strong start to the season, as they are 3-0 while outsourcing opponents 10-2.

“We have a talented group of players,” Whisenant said. “…but it’s how you can put that together to be successful, and these kids have really shown that on the field.”

The team faces their largest test of the season, as they take on travel to face Grandview, the defending 5A champions, on Thursday, March 30.