Wildcats Victorious in Soccer Clash

It was a clash of soccer styles.  The University School girls’ soccer team employed a ball-control strategy, using short passes and moving the ball from side to side as the team progressed forward.  Living Word Lutheran, on the other hand, played a defensive style, keeping its players back, and then using long clearing passes to fast-breaking forwards to get the ball downfield.  When the Midwest Classic Conference North battle at Living Word Lutheran ended Wednesday, it was USM that prevailed, 3-1.

USM head coach, Patrick Flanagan was pleased with the Wildcats' performance.  "Whenever we can come out and get a road win in conference, that's good stuff. Our possession was good.  We completed two or three touches before we sent it away.  We dominated possession this afternoon, even on a shorter, bumpier field than we're used to."

The shot totals demonstrated USM's dominance.  The Wildcats took twenty-six shots while the Timberwolves took just six.

"They really packed it in on defense," said Flanagan. "They often had most of their players inside the eighteen. Then they'd get it and send those long bombs."

The Timberwolves used one of those long passes to score the game's first goal at 13:34.  Senior Ellie Kegley got the ball on the Timberwolves half of the field and lofted a long pass down the right side. Junior Jade Wilds sprinted under it, gaining control.  Wilds sped past the USM defenders and sent a ground ball shot past Caity Prewitt, USM's junior goalkeeper, who had moved way out to cut the angle.  The ball rolled into the net before any Wildcat could catch up and steer it safely away.

But the Wildcats had been controlling the play. The Living Word Lutheran goal was the impetus they needed to score one themselves.  Less than a minute later, senior Margot Peterson got the ball in midfield and passed it to junior Julia Hanson, overlapping on the right side.  Hanson moved into the Timberwolves box and chipped the ball to senior forward Jenna Seter.  Seter stepped into the oncoming ball and snapped a low shot at the net.  The Timberwolves goalie, Taylor Luce, bent to pick it up, but the ball hit a clod of dirt and bounced over her hands and into the net at 14:20.

As the game progressed, Flanagan made some adjustments to stymie the Timberwolves' offensive style. He had his outside defenders, Hanson, and sophomore Catherine Jacobus mark the opposing forwards tightly.  He moved senior sweeper Ellie Wigdale several paces farther back to prevent any quick breakaway sprints. He also positioned his other midfielders, Peterson, seniors Sally James, Maggie Schroeder, and Libby Aik, and freshmen Merrill Read and Kate Nosbusch, deeper to drop back and block any moves to the middle.  The changes kept Living Word Lutheran even more bottled up in their own end. Hanson cut to the bone in describing the defense, "I love pushing people over."

Eventually the revised strategy paid off, and USM scored again. The goal came in the final minutes of the first half.  Sophomore forward Amber Baker got the ball on the left side. She ran it deep into the Living Word Lutheran end before crossing it toward the middle.  Senior Erika Hurth ran in, and with the momentum of a freight train, she met the ball and sent it into the net.  Time of the goal: 38:46.

The play continued in a similar fashion in the second half. The Wildcats continued to make frequent forays, and the Timberwolves continued to take away space.  The Wildcats finally scored their third goal when, from 40 yards out, Baker blasted a free kick salvo over Luce's head and outstretched arms at 72:29.

In the game Luce made 16 saves, and Prewitt made 2 saves.

Living Word Lutheran's overall record is now 1-3 and it is 0-2 in the conference.  The victory improved USM's record to 2-0 overall and in the conference.  The Wildcats next game is at 7:00 p.m. Monday when they host Martin Luther in a non-conference game.