The Fossil Ridge Sabercats girls’ soccer team won 1-0 against the 18 seed Chaparral Wolverines Friday, May 10, advancing to the quarterfinals.
Both sides get a goal attempt early on, but no points were scored. However, the Wolverines were called on a handball, allowing the Sabercats to shoot a penalty shot close to their goal.
Abby Ballek shot the penalty, and while it failed to go in, the Wolverine’s goalkeeper could not recover the ball entirely, allowing Anna Rogers to swoop in for the goal. Within the first 10 minutes, the score read 1-0, the Sabercats leading the game.
The Sabercats playing allowed the ball to bounce off of the Wolverines before going out of bounds, allowing many kicks and throw-ins for the Sabercats.
Despite the pressure the Sabercats put on the Wolverine’s defense, further goal attempts in the first half were stopped by their goalkeeper or missed the net.
The Wolverines slowly started to push back, getting three shots at the Sabercats goal yet were unable to net the point.
Each battle for the ball was intense and changed the momentum of the game, with cheers and groans from the audience at every shot.
Ciera Beck got injured towards the end of the first half, causing a small loss of energy for the Sabercats. They did not let up their playing, however, and the first half ended at 1-0 despite many scoring opportunities from either team.
The Sabercats had good momentum coming into the second half with Lily Wale racing up the field and shooting, but the Wolverines goalkeeper caught it.
The Sabercats continued to keep the pressure strong for the next 10 minutes, not letting the Wolverines catch their breath, but their goal attempts kept getting denied.
At last, the Wolverines broke through the Sabercats offense and tore across the rest of the field. They got the ball in the goal, the Sabercats too disjointed to stop them, but with a penalty against them right before the score, it did not count.
The two teams traded goal opportunities, racing up and down the field. Both defenses and goalkeepers worked overtime to stop each other in their tracks.
Another injury perks up for the Sabercats with Makenah Salas. However, they did not let it affect them and worked their hardest to kill the Wolverines growing momentum.
The ball was on the Sabercats’ side for the majority of the last 15 minutes of the game, the Wolverines attempting goal after goal. The Sabercats did not let their opponents overwhelm them, though, and prevented each shot.
A final attempt from the Wolverines caused the ball to go out of bounds for a goal kick, but Sabercat goalkeeper Shay Masters kicked the ball away and the time ticked to zero: another win for the Sabercats at 1-0.
The Sabercats play in the quarterfinals against the 10 seed Heritage Eagles at Englewood High School on Monday, May 13 at 5 p.m..
“Finishing some chances in front of the goal, [this] was a one zero game,” says co-captain McKenna Garrett on the teams strategy for next game. “But with our attacking weapons we can put more [successes] in.”
