Head coach Christopher Dundr praised his team’s focus and drive to overturn an early deficit into a convincing win in Fort Mill.
Despite conceding early in the first half, Dundr’s Nation Ford girls’ soccer team, now 14-2-1, responded with three first-half goals and another two strikes in the second half to earn a 5-1 home win. The Falcons have won their last 11 games and are still unbeaten in eight Region 3-5A games so far this season.
Prior to the Friday, April 11 match, Nation Ford hadn’t given up a goal in any region matchups. But Indian Land put Nation Ford under pressure in the 16th minute when freshman Amira Ahad took advantage of a defensive miscue and beat goalkeeper Sarah McCaskill from long-range to take an early lead.
“It was going to happen sooner or later in a region like this,” Dundr said. “But you train (the players) not to panic. It was an error on our part, but they didn’t drop their heads and give up another one. They got comfortable again, kept calm, and kept their focus.”
Nation Ford enjoyed many of the opening chances. Sophomore midfielder Grace Dunnery tested Indian Land goalkeeper Rebecca James from 20 yards out, but the sophomore was equal to the task.
Ahad’s chance came in the 16th minute when two Nation Ford defenders failed to clear their lines. The Warrior corralled a loose ball and beat McCaskill from a distance.
But the lead was short-lived – Nation Ford responded quickly with three goals in the space of about 15 minutes to turn the tide at home.
Senior striker Eberlee Bolduc equalized for the Lady Falcons in the 25th minute, tapping home from six yards out after the Indian Land goalkeeper parried away a long-range shot.
Ten minutes later, junior defender Addison Ripkey rose highest on a Nation Ford corner and nodded a header into the far corner of the net to give the home team a narrow lead.
The Falcons wrested control of the game back when freshman midfielder Reagan Nelson fired a rocket from the top of the Warrior’s penalty box past James to make it 3-1 just seconds before the halftime break.
Dundr said he wanted his players to be more comfortable playing within his system, cut down on unnecessary turnovers, and play together. He said he would study the film from the game and tailor future practices toward specific opponents.
“We’ll keep building and building, and hopefully we’re playing our best ball in May for the playoffs,” Dundr said. “We can fix some things. We go game by game.”
Junior midfielder Charlotte Jeskey added a fourth for Nation Ford in the 69th minute with a first-time shot from the middle of the Indian Land box, and junior midfielder Bethany Meyers followed that up three minutes later with a rocket from long-distance to score her team’s fifth goal of the match.
With the loss, Indian Land drops to 7-8-4 overall and 3-5 in region play.
Nation Ford next plays Gray Collegiate Academy in a non-region game 6 p.m. Monday, April 14. The Lady Falcons then resume their region schedule with road games at Rock Hill on Tuesday, April 15 and at Catawba Ridge on Thursday, April 17. Both games will kick off at 7 p.m. Indian Land next hosts Catawba Ridge on Tuesday, April 15.
April 11 Roundup
The Nation Ford boys’ soccer team beat Indian Land in penalty kicks and improved to 14-4 on the season and 6-2 in Region 3-5A.
Game three in the Nation Ford-Catawba Ridge baseball series was rained out for the second consecutive day and will be made up on Saturday, April 12 at Catawba Ridge.
The Fort Mill baseball game against Lancaster was rained out.
The Fort Mill softball game on the road at Rock Hill was postponed.
