Lady Mavs win, tie during opening week of soccer
Following a scoreless tie Aug. 14 at home against Cumberland County, the Anderson County Lady Mavericks’ soccer team collected its first win of the season Aug. 16 with a 2-1 decision at Scott in a game delayed late in the first half due to lightning.
AC goals by Laura Wilson and Natalie Barley during the first half provided the Lady Mavs with a 2-0 lead.
Wilson’s goal was assisted by Tori Wetherington while Bartley scored on a direct kick.
Lightning forced a delay with 2:49 remaining in the first half. After the coaches and officials agreed to declare halftime at that point, play eventually resumed and Scott got on the board early in the second half to cut the difference to 2-1.
The Lady Mavs were able to hold off the Lady Highlanders from that point forward until the final whistle.
“Overall, I was pleased with the increased number of shots that we put on goal versus our performance in our first match,” said AC Coach Chris Curtin. “I felt like our defense probably worked harder than they would have needed to if our midfield had been a bit more connected. However, there were good passing combinations being made all over the field and our relatively small team did not get phased by the fact that it was a very physical match.”
AC’s season opener against Cumberland was a defensive contest.
The Lady Mavs almost scored in the first half when part of the ball crossed the goal line. However, soccer rules declare the entire ball must cross the line to count.
AC goalkeeper Mollie Wheeler made a number of stops throughout the contest. However, Wheeler’s counterpart at the other end of the field was also successful, stopping some key AC shots during the closing minutes.
The Lady Mavs play at Maverick Stadium Tuesday for a 6:30 p.m. kickoff against Oneida.
The Lady Mavs play this weekend in the Gatlinburg Tournament.
