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Grand strategy wasn’t working for Grace Christian in Thursday’s soccer match. So the Lady Crusaders went for ‘bombs away’ instead, and that worked.
The South Wake Wolves, a team that MaxPreps doesn’t have in its database and simply calls them a “Varsity Opponent,” played Grace tough throughout the game and proved especially effective with their back-line defense. The Wolves frustrated several attempts to penetrate their defense and attack the goal with passing, and when Grace did get shots off, they had hard luck on them, with Sarah Meggs in particular banging one shot off the crossbar and another off a post.
What finally broke the ice, after Grace (6-5 overall) had outplayed its guests for nearly 60 minutes with no score, was a change in strategy. Meggs and Evelyn Irwin sent two long-range rocket shots into the goal in a span of 62 seconds, and that gave the Lady Crusaders a 2-0 win.
The Wolves, a homeschool team that often plays outside the state and rarely faces other homeschoolers in the area, proved to be a tough opponent for the Lady Crusaders. Grace had numerous chances to score, starting when Meggs got an opening about 20 yards off in minute 13, but hit the crossbar. The Wolves had a number of strong, physical players and also mounted some impressive counters of their own, nearly scoring in the 17th and 31st minutes. Meggs did get a goal in the 20th minute, but it was waved off when Grace was called offsides.
In the 22nd and 24th minutes, Meggs and then Piper Hicks had near-misses, with Hicks missing a shot just over the crossbar. However, neither team managed a goal in the first half.
The script remained the same as the second half got under way, with Meggs putting a shot off the post in the 48th minute and a melee in front of the goal following for close to a minute, with no score. Late in the 50th minute, the South Wake keeper batted a shot by Hicks away, then stopped another from her in the 52nd.
Success came out of nowhere and was a heads-up decision by Meggs. Midway through minute 60, she was operating in space about 40 yards from the goal. Since nearly every attack by the Lady Crusaders had been right at the goal and involved passing and crossing in the box, the sophomore threw the Wolves a proverbial curveball and took the shot from distance. Her aim was true and the ball sailed into the goal.
Grace had found the answer. After the post-goal kickoff, Grace regained possession and went back on the attack. In minute 61, 19:36 left on the clock, Irwin found herself in a similar spot, about 33 yards out, took the shot, and the Lady Crusaders led 2-0.
Irwin nearly scored from long range again two and a half minutes later, but as time wound down, the Wolves stepped up their attack and Grace shifted its focus to the defense, with Sydney Damude, Addison Peavley, and Lily Aguilera, and keeper Landry Hicks all contributing to keeping South Wake off the board to the final whistle.
About two weeks remain in Grace’s season and there are three games left on the schedule. The Lady Crusaders host Cape Fear Academy of Wilmington on Thursday of next week, visit Thales-Apex on April 28, and conclude the regular season at home May 2 against Wake Christian.
Grace is currently at No. 12 in the MaxPreps power ratings for the NCISAA 3A ranks. The association has not released the bracket format for the championship tournament, but the 3A bracket in most sports gives the top-eight seeds two guaranteed home matches. A strong finish could get the team to that spot, as CFA is the top-ranked 3A team, while Thales is 11th and Wake Christian 13th.
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The South Wake Wolves, a team that MaxPreps doesn’t have in its database and simply calls them a “Varsity Opponent,” played Grace tough throughout the game and proved especially effective with their back-line defense. The Wolves frustrated several attempts to penetrate their defense and attack the goal with passing, and when Grace did get shots off, they had hard luck on them, with Sarah Meggs in particular banging one shot off the crossbar and another off a post.
What finally broke the ice, after Grace (6-5 overall) had outplayed its guests for nearly 60 minutes with no score, was a change in strategy. Meggs and Evelyn Irwin sent two long-range rocket shots into the goal in a span of 62 seconds, and that gave the Lady Crusaders a 2-0 win.
The Wolves, a homeschool team that often plays outside the state and rarely faces other homeschoolers in the area, proved to be a tough opponent for the Lady Crusaders. Grace had numerous chances to score, starting when Meggs got an opening about 20 yards off in minute 13, but hit the crossbar. The Wolves had a number of strong, physical players and also mounted some impressive counters of their own, nearly scoring in the 17th and 31st minutes. Meggs did get a goal in the 20th minute, but it was waved off when Grace was called offsides.
In the 22nd and 24th minutes, Meggs and then Piper Hicks had near-misses, with Hicks missing a shot just over the crossbar. However, neither team managed a goal in the first half.
The script remained the same as the second half got under way, with Meggs putting a shot off the post in the 48th minute and a melee in front of the goal following for close to a minute, with no score. Late in the 50th minute, the South Wake keeper batted a shot by Hicks away, then stopped another from her in the 52nd.
Success came out of nowhere and was a heads-up decision by Meggs. Midway through minute 60, she was operating in space about 40 yards from the goal. Since nearly every attack by the Lady Crusaders had been right at the goal and involved passing and crossing in the box, the sophomore threw the Wolves a proverbial curveball and took the shot from distance. Her aim was true and the ball sailed into the goal.
Grace had found the answer. After the post-goal kickoff, Grace regained possession and went back on the attack. In minute 61, 19:36 left on the clock, Irwin found herself in a similar spot, about 33 yards out, took the shot, and the Lady Crusaders led 2-0.
Irwin nearly scored from long range again two and a half minutes later, but as time wound down, the Wolves stepped up their attack and Grace shifted its focus to the defense, with Sydney Damude, Addison Peavley, and Lily Aguilera, and keeper Landry Hicks all contributing to keeping South Wake off the board to the final whistle.
About two weeks remain in Grace’s season and there are three games left on the schedule. The Lady Crusaders host Cape Fear Academy of Wilmington on Thursday of next week, visit Thales-Apex on April 28, and conclude the regular season at home May 2 against Wake Christian.
Grace is currently at No. 12 in the MaxPreps power ratings for the NCISAA 3A ranks. The association has not released the bracket format for the championship tournament, but the 3A bracket in most sports gives the top-eight seeds two guaranteed home matches. A strong finish could get the team to that spot, as CFA is the top-ranked 3A team, while Thales is 11th and Wake Christian 13th.
Continue reading...
