LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN -- Friday 9:00pm - As the shadows on the field came and went and the sun fell below the horizon, the excitement and anticipation of a night game became a sudden reality. For the first time in Covenant College history, soccer was played at night at Scotland Yard on Friday. Under the stars and bathed in the new lights, the Lady Scots (3-0) took the field for the 2010 season home opener against Oakland City University. The Lady Scots looked to improve on their 9-9-4 overall record and semi final appearance in the NCCAA national tournament last year.
The first half of the game was more of a feeling out of the opponent than dominance shown by either side- the Lady Scots having earned a slight edge in total shots in the first half at four to one. Oakland city had the first shot in the 28th minute, though, but it missed high. The Lady Scots' best chance came in the 34th minute, when Kara Lee nearly put one by the keeper. It was the only shot in the half that required a save for either team, and Oakland City's keeper, Karrin Bryant, was up to the challenge. With very little offensive output for either team, the score sat still at 0-0 when the half-time buzzer sounded.
Almost on cue, the Lady Scots came out with a vengeance to start the second half. Within the first two minutes the Lady Scots started their assault on the Oakland City keeper. The invigorated Lady Scots did not take long to strike first in the second half. In the 47th minute, Lauren Probst ripped a shot that was too hot to handle for Bryant to fully control. As in slow motion, the ball slowly rolled away from Bryant and right to Kasey Craft who put in the rebound shot off the inside of the post. This gave the large and energetic crowd something to finally cheer about. Covenant kept the pressure on Bryant, but she responded with two saves in the following eight minutes.
In the 56th minute, Sheri Koenig was in the right place at the right time and secured a 2-0 lead with her goal that found the net after the keeper misplayed the ball. Almost exactly ten minutes later, the Lady Scots found another goal off the foot of Amy Dykstra. Her second goal of the year beat the keeper over her head and pushed the lead to 3-0. Oakland City stepped up their defense and did not allow another shot for close to twenty minutes, but the Lady Scots were still able to find the net one last time. In the 85th minute, Dana Streufert got a hold of one from just outside the box, about 18 yards out, and beat the keeper giving the Lady Scots the 4-0 lead, the game's eventual final score.
The final stats showed the major difference of the game to be shots and shots on goal. The Lady Scots finished with twelve total shots, eight of which were either converted to goals or saved by the keeper. The offense kept the pressure poured on in the second half, but don't let this offensive outpour take away from the incredible play of the defense which strongly limited the chances for Oakland City.
"It's been kind of our form so far this year to figure out what [the opposing side] is doing in the first half then attack them in the second half," said head coach Mark Duble. Indeed, the Lady Scots have failed to score in the first half of each of their three games this season but have outscored their opponents 7-0 in the second half.
Saturday 1:30pm
In their third game in four days the Lady Scots took the field against Campbellsville University. The last time these two teams met was in the championship game of the 2009 NCCAA Mid-East regional tournament. The Lady Scots were victorious that day 1-0.
The first half was like watching a heavy weight prize fight. Both teams were trading blows back and forth while trying to set up for the take-down. The Lady Scots were first to get a shot off in the 19th minute, but the keeper met it to deny Covenant the early advantage. Campbellsville went on the attack next in the 25th minute but pushed their shot wide right.
Continuing the back and forth action, the Lady Scots went after Campbellsville's keeper again, but she was standing strong as the last line of defense.
Campbellsville's best two chances that came were only seconds apart in the 42nd minute. The Lady Scots' keeper Bethany Holman was well prepared as she saved one and watched the other miss to the left. As the first forty-five minutes ran out, it was clear the battle would continue on into the second half. Both teams had accumulated four shots but neither had found the net.
The second half produced more of the back and forth action of the first half. Both teams were attacking and pushing forward, looking for a chance to break the tie. The Lady Scots' second shot was one that the keeper struggled to keep in her possession. Senior Elisabeth Oates was able to capitalize on the goalie misplay and break the tie in the 69th minute.
Campbellsville tried as much as they could to push it forward, but the Lady Scots' defense held strong, only giving up three more shots the rest of the game, all of which were saved. When the final buzzer went off, the Lady Scots saw improved to 3-0 despite having been outshot twelve to nine in the game.
"The reason we scheduled this tournament was to get a feel for what it would be like to play in the national tournament," Coach Duble noted. "I wanted the girls to experience what it was like to play 3 games in 4 days, and we came away with 3 wins so I couldn't be happier. We were tired and beat up, but our seniors stepped up and played great. It was a huge team effort."
Over the course of the week, forward Amy Dykstra converted 2 of her 5 shots into goals, and goalkeeper Bethany Holman's 9 saves have played a huge role in the team's 3 shutouts.
The Lady Scots return to action this Saturday, September 11 against Great South opponent Wesleyan College at 3:30pm.
