Veterans High girls soccer, like the boys club a defending
region champion, is under a new head coach in Whitney Wallis. It looked as if –
after seeing her team win its debut against Bleckley County – she would taste
defeat for the first time Tuesday at Northside.
Brianna Gomez, however, prevented that from happening when
she punched the ball to the back of an open net with 2:22 remaining in
regulation. Northside’s 1-0 lead evaporated, and the match ended on a 1-1 draw,
the second tie so far in 2013 for the Lady Eagles and coach Ryan Burkhart.
Erin Harbison started in goal for Wallis. She made a leaping
catch four minutes into regulation, and at 34:30 she dove on a low free kick
taken by Lady Eagle center midfielder Anna Maddox from the right sideline.
In goal for Northside was Centara Nulf. In a span of four
minutes she smothered a shot attempt and made a direct save from the foot of
Lady Warhawk Erin Alder, who won a 50-50 ball.
Veterans had more chances inside of 22 minutes when Sarah
Lucas shot high in the box and Aler, from a 50-50 win, went to her right for a
cross saved by Nulf.
Northside’s main attacker was Kelsey Barton, who also played
some tight hustling one-on-one defense. She earned her team the match’s first
corner kick (19:35), but the home team could not score while recovering
Veterans’ clear.
Nulf saved a rocket shot from Aspen Coggins at the 12-minute
mark. The visitors were dominating the 50-50 balls, but had two offside calls
inside of 11 minutes.
Barton scored Northside’s lone goal at 7:49 off passes from
side to side by Taylor Poole and Sara Bedingfield. It was Maddox earning the
possession with a cleanly executed slide tackle. Leading Northside’s other
defensive efforts in the center portion were Jamie Epperson and Rebekah
Patterson.
Veterans’ best attempt at a tie before the half came at 5:37
as Sierra Gomez took a 28-yard free kick wide to the left.
Things got dangerous for the Lady Eagles early in the second
half. Maddox found herself in a bad spot, but was able to clear and allow her
keeper an easy save.
For the last 30 minutes, it was all Veterans in possession
time as Bre Wyatt laid herself out to stop what would be Northside’s final
attack and Kiana Wheeler made a stopping play also dangerously close to the
Lady Warhawk net.
Veterans had two corner kicks cleared by Barton and Maddox.
At 16:45, Maddox had a 30-yard free kick saved, but then her team had a yellow
card seconds later.
After Coggins took a little chip shot saved inside of 10
minutes, the Lady Eagles tried to keep the ball at midfield for a span of seven
minutes. Veterans got the ball close in the final three minutes, and Breanna
Gomez, with a lot of players – including the keeper – down on the grass playing
the ball, came out of the crowd and leveled the score.
HHJ News
