East Hamilton Triumphs In Marathon Soccer Match

Lady Canes Defeat Signal Mountain, 2-0, To Capture Region 4-AA Title

  • Friday, October 22, 2021
  • Joseph Dycus
East Hamilton's Diamond Stephens (13) celebrates scoring against Signal Mountain in the Region 4-AA championship match on Saturday. The Lady Canes defeated the Lady eagles, 2-0.
East Hamilton's Diamond Stephens (13) celebrates scoring against Signal Mountain in the Region 4-AA championship match on Saturday. The Lady Canes defeated the Lady eagles, 2-0.
photo by Joseph Dycus

Diamond Stephens drove the ball at the Signal Mountain defense and after a slick move in semi-transition, had enough space to unleash a shot. The midfielder’s try knifed through the air and past the Eagles’ keeper to give East Hamilton a 2-0 lead. Almost 24 hours after the game kicked off, the Hurricanes secured their spot as the home team in the next round of the playoffs.

 

“I looked over and saw the left was open, so I pulled it back and tried to hit it with my left foot,” Stephens said.

“I saw that girl was running back so I cut back in and hit it in the left corner with my right foot.”

 

The first half(-ish) of the game was played on Thursday night under a threatening blanket of dark-blue clouds. Defense reigned, with both back-lines holding the other team’s potent offense to minimal chances at goal. For the Eagles, Maddie Avery and Mae Remke dueled with Stephens and winger Zoey Burgner. On the other side, Mia Moore and Olivia Drumeller were standout performers against the fleet-footed Kara Wilson and Ava Duffey.

 

“I have all the faith in the world in those young ladies,” coach Eugene Nelson said. “If we’re playing the United States Women’s National Team, I’m picking those girls to shut them down as well.”

 

Forward Natalie Simulis broke through in the 28th minute on a set piece. She was positioned at the right place at the right time, and her shot from inside the box put the Hurricanes up 1-0. The day of the week really lived up to its origin story a few minutes later though, with a thunderous storm rolling into the area with five minutes left in the half. The game was eventually put on hold.

 

At 3:30 the next day, both teams resumed the match as if nothing had happened. Aside from the soggier pitch and the bright sunlight that flooded over the players and spectators, there was almost no indicator the game had been paused for almost an entire day. Neither team showed any drop when it came to intensity or energy.

 

“We’ve really tried to keep our energy up and not get stressed when we’re in tough situations,” Stephens said. “When the other team comes out, we try to come out with that same intensity and try our hardest at all times. ”

 

East Hamilton started to take control of possession later in the second half, with set pieces becoming a regular sight on the Hurricanes’ home field. Signal Mountain’s defense showed why the Eagles are defending champions though and shut down each try from the corners. It wasn’t until the Hurricanes’ Stephens broke through that the game was put out of reach.

 

East Hamilton’s midfielder Tenley Yates was another unheralded contributor to the cause. She was often seen linking the back four line with the team’s skilled attackers. Goalkeeper Maggie Rickerd was another reason for East Hamilton’s win. She did not have to save too many shots, but her ability to intercept crosses and passes should not go overlooked.

 

“Coach Abby has been working a lot with the defense and drilling in them that they have to trust one another,” coach Nelson said. “I think it’s all starting to come together.”

 

In a town like Chattanooga, many of the players know or are even friends with players on other teams. But for assistant coach Patrick Daverson, it goes a bit further than that. For him, winning against Signal Mountain was somewhat bittersweet. His wife Tracy is an assistant coach on the Eagles’ staff, and their daughters Madeline and Jenny both play for Signal Mountain.  

 

“It’s a great game and I’m glad that we ended up where we’re at, where it’s not a knockout game and both teams get to move on,” Patrick Daverson said.

 

East Hamilton will play Kingston, while Signal Mountain will travel to Anderson County. If both teams win their matchups, neither team will have to travel far for the state playoffs with Chattanooga hosting the tournament this season.

 

“If we do get a good result on Saturday, it’s cool to have the state tournament here, to sleep in our own beds and not worry about getting a hotel room,” coach Nelson said.

 

 

 

Do you have an opinion on this article, or have a story you believe needs coverage? You can contact the author at Joseph.A.Dycus@gmail.com or on Twitter at @joseph_dycus.

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