Another girls’ soccer season kicked off this week for most teams in the Chattanooga area. Something about fall weather under the lights has had a way of bringing out friends, family, and fans to see their favorite teams play for years. One of those teams was Boyd Buchanan’s Lady Bucs. They found their first game to be a challenging one as they would go head-to-head with the Soddy Daisy Lady Trojans. After 80 hard fought minutes, the Lady Bucs would begin their season with a 1-0 road win.
The first half would ultimately go scoreless. However, despite the lack of result from either side, there was plenty to acknowledge for the ladies’ performances. Both sides were nearly inseparable. The Lady Bucs kept the press high, using their three attackers to maintain control of the ball and make runs into the box. The Trojans had set up a strong defense that kept them in the game. They struggled to find anything on the attacking side of the ball, which led to a loss of possession on multiple occasions.
Quickly after the start of the second half, Boyd Buchanan would have their goal. The Lady Bucs were relentless in the final third and it paid off. After a few unsuccessful tries to get into the box, Boyd’s own starting forward Kate Wood would take matters into her own hands. Wood had been a thorn in Soddy Daisy’s side all game. She, after winning the ball back, would cut into the middle of the field with the ball. Wasting no time, she took the shot from outside the box which was nearly saved by the keeper. As luck would have it, the ball would still be too strong for the keeper to handle, and Wood would give them a 1-0 lead.
Soddy Daisy did everything they could to fight back and equalize, yet there was nothing to come of any of their chances. Unfortunately for the trojans the final whistle would come much too soon, and the game would end with the scoreline in favor of the Lady Bucs.
After the game, Boyd Buchanan’s head coach, Scooter Armstrong, was available to give some insight to his team and the hopes they have for this new season.
“I was really proud of them. I was proud of just the effort that we were given, the fifty-fifty balls, and like I said soccer is sometime a cruel sport," said Armstrong. "But I would just say keep shooting and keep shooting and we will get one. Let’s just control the game."
"And that’s pretty much what we did," he continued, "We controlled it, had a strong defense with them, and just stayed physical with them. It paid off in the end. We are growing. We have twenty-two on the roster and ten are freshmen. So, we are a young team and they have been growing all preseason. I feel like every single game we are going to get better.”
Score Summary
Boyd Buchanan 0 1 -- 1
Soddy Daisy 0 0 -- 0
Goal Scorers:
Boyd Buchanan: Kate Wood
(Contact Alex McElyea at alexmcelyea26@gmail.com)