By TODD FERTIG
TopSports.news
The Shawnee Heights girls soccer team hopes to jump start its season with back-to-back wins during a busy stretch of the season.
Shawnee Heights senior Lailah Benz (21) scored the game's first goal in Monday's 3-2 soccer win over Hayden. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The T-Birds picked up their second win of the year Monday, defeating Hayden at the Bettis Family Sports Complex, 3-2.
After an 0-3-1 start to the season, they notched their first victory at Piper last Thursday. The Shawnee Heights girls are in the middle of a stretch of six games in two weeks that they hope could turn their season around.
“Our last win (at Piper) definitely turned it around for us,” said Shawnee Heights senior Lailah Benz, who scored the game’s first goal just 42 seconds into the contest. “We came in knowing that we were going to win instead of having doubt.”
Shawnee Heights sophomore Brylee Garner (14) celebrates her first-half goal with teammates in the T-Birds' 3-2 win over Hayden. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
The T-Birds added to their 1-0 lead in the middle of the first period on a score by Brylee Garner off a corner kick.
Hayden junior Carsyn Broxterman (4) and sophomore Avery Becker (3) scored the Wildcats' goals in Monday's 3-2 soccer loss to Shawnee Heights. [Photo by Rex Wolf/TSN]
But Hayden demonstrated it wasn’t going away when the Wildcats got on the board with 49 seconds remaining in the first half off a goal by Carsyn Broxterman.
Shawnee Heights picked up an insurance goal by Izzy Van Fleet at the 20:54 mark of the second period. Moments later, that goal proved to be the game winner as Hayden responded with a strike by Avery Becker at 20:20.
The Shawnee Heights defense protected that 3-2 advantage the rest of the way to improve to 2-3-1 on the season, while Hayden dropped to 2-3.
“It wasn’t our best win, but we got the outcome we wanted,” Benz said. “Defensively, we could have been more organized on our transitions.”
“Give Hayden credit,” said Shawnee Heights coach Nic Simons. “They have some pretty talented players and some pretty dangerous players. So, while I think defensively – and across the field – we weren’t as organized as we could have been, it’s a great testament to how hard the girls worked tonight that we pulled this one out.”
Simons said he believes this stretch of games presents an opportunity for the T-Birds to build some momentum.
“Getting that win last Thursday helped build some of our confidence going into tonight,” Simons said. “If you look at our losses, all of them with the exception of De Soto were all by a goal or so. We’ve said all along that there are no excuses and near losses don’t help anything. We were never satisfied, and we just kept on fighting. But we’ve faced some adversity, had some injuries, and the girls have just kept a positive attitude and kept going.”
Simons admitted that playing so many games in a short span of time can be draining. But with the challenge comes an opportunity.
“It’s a tough road, but we’re fighting through it,” Simons said. “It’s a great opportunity for some players to really show what they’ve got, whether they come off the bench or start. I think it says a lot about our team to be able to respond every single night to do what’s asked of them.”
SHAWNEE HEIGHTS 3, HAYDEN 2
Hayden (2-3-0) 1 1 — 2
Shawnee Heights (2-3-1) 2 1 — 3
Hayden — Goals: Broxterman, Becker. Assist: Wrench.
Shawnee Heights — Goals: Benz, Garner, Van Fleet. Assists: O’Neill-Bolanos 2, Van Fleet.
