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SM soccer team records year’s first win
Smoky Mountain’s soccer team won its first game of the season by blanking Highlands 3-0 on March 13 at Carr Hooper Stadium/Babe Howell Field.
“Highlands played with a lot of heart with only four subs,” Coach Stephaen Delor said. “We played our JV players throughout the game and all of them played well. As a group, most of them played the last 15 minutes and were successful in preserving the shutout for the team.”
After three shutout losses, freshman Abi Jones playing her first varsity game, scored the Lady Mustangs’ initial goal of the season in the 13th minute.
Jones received a pass from Megan Mileti and went one-on-one with the keeper.
“We loved the fact that Abi did not flinch against the onrushing goalkeeper,” Delor said. “That’s what made the difference.”
SM led 2-0 at intermission after Kelly Brannigan’s goal in the 29th minute.
Brannigan collected the ball on the wing after taking a pass from Mileti.
“The goalkeeper came out to close the angle, and Kelly chipped it above the keeper from 15 yards out,” Delor said. “Kelly kept her composure under pressure.”
Kelly Childress scored the final goal in the 68th minute.
“The play started with a corner kick that was cleared by the defense,” the coach said. “Kelly was waiting outside the box and took an immediate shot from 30 yards. It was a low, scorching shot inside the left post through a crowd of players. You rarely see a goal like that in women’s high school soccer. The keeper did not even move.”
The Lady Mustangs dominated play with 19 shots to Highlands’ five. SM’s Amy Haggard recorded five saves while Allison Winn made 16 for the Lady Highlanders.
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