The Catawba Ridge girl’s soccer team won their home opener with a strong 3-1 victory over Charlotte Country Day Tuesday evening.
The win moved the Copperheads to 2-2 overall early in the season. Catawba Ridge went 1-2 in the Viking Cup in Columbia Feb. 24-26 to open the season this past weekend.
Catawba Ridge girls head coach Brandon Schmidt said his team still needs to focus on the task at hand.
“We know we have a good team,” he said. “We know we have a quality team. It is just making sure they gel well together and remain in that compete mindset during practice, during warm-ups. We have to compete in every aspect as a team.”
Catawba Ridge played well early on and got a free kick about 13 minutes into the game. Despite missing, the Copperheads were able to move the ball well throughout the game most of the time and controlled possession the majority of time.
The Copperheads were able to get more shot attempts off with controlling the ball more throughout the first half. Catawba Ridge had several corner kicks that got them closer and closer to scoring as the momentum started building for the Copperheads with about 13 minutes left in the first half.
Then in the 32nd minute of the first half, Catawba Ridge broke through with a goal by Lizzy Sexton to put the Copperheads up 1-0.
Catawba Ridge carried that lead into the half and then pushed the pace in the second half to open.
The Copperheads came out of the locker room controlling the ball and extended their lead about 10 minutes into play in the second half going up 2-0 off a goal from Kyleen Bents.
That two-goal lead was short lived when Country Day got one past the Copperheads keeper to cut the Catawba Ridge lead in half just three minutes later at the 53rd minute mark of the game.
That is something Schmidt said they need to work on.
“I would like to remain a little more focused,” he said. “That is the third time we have given up a goal after scoring this year.”
Catawba Ridge played a little move conservative then and looked for bigger holes and opportunities to take shots on goal for the next several minutes. That approach worked as in the 64th minute Sadie Commerford found the back of the net to give the Copperheads a little more breathing room and a 3-1 lead.
From there, Catawba Ridge was able to hold off a hard charging Country Day team who tried to take advantage of the Copperheads and push the pace, but the Catawba Ridge defense was prepared and held them off.
Catawba Ridge is next scheduled to play Blythewood on the road Friday, March 3 and will return home to The Pit Tuesday, March 14.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
