Girls soccer team struggles against tough competition
Sophomore Lilly Allen makes a head shot in a recent soccer match. Photo by Harper Pambrun
After a tough season of hard work and some bitter disappointments, the girls soccer team ended their regular season with a 2-8 finish in league and an overall record of 7-10-2.
The Atascadero girls soccer team started the season on a roll at 5-2-2 record. Prior to the Hounds playing the Righetti Warriors at Memorial Field on Friday night, Jan. 10, they had played well in 12 matches and tournaments. Facing Righetti, they had an opportunity to join a four-way first place tie with Arroyo Grande, Paso Robles and Righetti, but they lost that match 2-0.
That turning point was the Hounds fourth home game of the year, but it was not a night that the girls were at their best. Righetti began the scoring in spectacular fashion in the first half when one of their girls had a ball bounce to her feet from just a few yards outside the corner of the 18-yard box, where she pushed it into the opposite corner.
The Greyhound girls did not play badly, but they were unable to engage in the last third of the field. Lilly Allen made a great pass to Taylor Kirk that almost made a goal, but it just missed. That was after Kirk turned up the heat from the left side of the field and finally got the ball. She cut back on two opponents and took a shot that hit it high. Only minutes later, Kirk found herself in a scoring position again with help from Allen, but just couldn’t make the score.
The frigid temperatures probably didn’t help any of the players, and ownership of the ball was constantly switching back and forth. The score was 1-0 at halftime and the second half was similar to the first. The Warriors were able to convert their best chance, while the Hounds could not seem to. The score ended in a disappointing 0-2 loss.
Many of the following league matches ended in similar discouraging losses, with the Hounds playing decently, but just not being able to get the win after fighting throughout close-scoring matches.