GODDARD, Kan.—
Dominating the attack in the first half, but failing to put the ball in the net could have spelled disaster for Goddard. However in the second half, Katelyn James took the game over, scoring 2 goals and an assist in a 3-1 win for the Lady Lions over Andover Central.“The fact that we weren’t putting any in and we were dominating play was kind of scary,” said Goddard head coach Ryan Rooney.
After drawing iron on a shot, and a diving Caitlin Orgera save on a rocket off the foot of Makenzie Klaasen, there seemed to be a force field protecting the Andover Central net in the first half. While Goddard was doing everything but putting the ball in the net, the Lions’ defense came through a couple of times to prevent the Jaguars from escaping the half with a 2-goal lead.
Goddard keeper Michaela Moore came out to challenge a Paige Matacchiera shot, taking away the angle from point-blank range on a spectacular save. With time nearly expired at the end of the scoreless first, Andover Central just missed the far upper corner to preserve the 0-0 tie after one.
Although the Lions couldn’t capitalize with the stiff wind at their backs in the first half, it didn’t take long to strike in the second. Less than four minutes into the half, Julie Erwin lofted a through-ball for James who beat the defender and got her right instep into a ball that beat Orgera on the far post to give Goddard a 1-0 lead.
“I think we’re probably a better team, actually, into the wind,” said Rooney, “especially with a goalie as good as (Orgera). She plays up and she takes away every through-ball, so into the wind she was getting everything. She was getting a lot of our passes, that into the wind started dropping in and gave us a lot more opportunities.”
About 18 minutes after James broke the scoreless tie, she picked up an assist. Off set play on a corner kick, James found Eirin Haislett who blasted a long shot into the top right corner to put the Lions up 2-0.
The Haislett insurance goal proved valuable, as Evan Stamp found herself all alone in front of the Goddard net for an unassisted goal that cut the lead to 2-1.
“I think they took it personally,” said Rooney of his team’s reaction to the Stamp goal. “I think they were mad about it. I think that’s the reason we came back and got that third (goal). This is two games in a row where we’ve got a shutout, we’re dominating play, and then we let a late one go in, and then we come back right after that and score. I love the fact that they are taking it personally. I would love the shutouts, but they are literally taking it personally and going back out there and saying, ‘no, no, no; this isn’t happening.’”
James picked up her second goal of the game on an assist from Klaassen to ice the Goddard win. A shot dropped right at the feet of James after ricocheting off the crossbar and the Goddard senior buried it from there, securing Goddard’s fifth win of the season.
