Panther Creek Women’s Soccer clenches 2-0 win over Athens Drive
March 10, 2016
Coming off of a victory at the North Carolina State Championship last spring, Panther Creek Women’s Soccer has struggled to score on the offensive end— leading to disappointing losses against both Middle Creek and Leesville Road— despite the remarkable ability of the defense to shut down opponent movement on the home side of the field. The team’s woes don’t stop with on field performance, however; they’ve been plagued with injuries this season with both starting keeper Elizabeth Kelly and outside fullback Meredith Hamby out for the majority of the season. It is the culmination of these elements that has lead to a slow start for Women’s Soccer, leaving both the team and fans unsure of how last night’s game against Athens Drive would play out.
However, coming out of the kickoff Panther Creek began playing like the state champions of last spring— they held possession for the majority of the first ten minutes, with a goal from senior Rose Faustyn (15) in minute 8. This is where the tempo dropped, unfortunately. A lack of communication and successful ball movement beset the team in the rest of the first half, preventing any more opportunities for goals— the team went into halftime with several dilemmas, and few answers.
Beginning the second half, Panther Creek offense began playing at the tempo of the first ten minutes, with three close shots in the first four minutes of the second half. They maintained the pace, adding another two shots on goal, resulting in a goal by junior Amanda Wolfgang in the 52nd minute. The offensive breakdown that had plagued the team in the first half had seemingly disappeared— Panther Creek offense held possession for the vast majority of the second half, with the first defensive threat not arriving until late in the 69th minute.
The last 10 minutes of the game were rather uneventful, and PC was able to clench the 2-0 win from Athens Drive. When asked about what changes were made during halftime, varsity coach David Grant cited a change in tactic: “We made a decision to play more direct, and having an extra body up top and pushing to the strikers helped out, the first goal was a product of that.” When asked about the injuries on the team, Grant was optimistic; despite the loss of those big players, Grant believed that “we have enough talent and players that have been around long enough to be able to put some plays together and do what we ask them to do.” Moving forwards, the coaches only hope is to keep improving.
Panther Creek plays again tonight away at Jordan, and hopes to secure another win. Women’s Soccer has a ways to go in terms of development and communication, but has the raw talent and potential to become a formidable team— a two time state champion.
