Trinity Lutheran off to big start with win

0

Junior Maddie Roark will continue to be an offensive force for the Trinity Lutheran girls soccer team in 2016.

Roark netted five goals — four in the second half — in a 7-1 win against Herron on Friday to give the Cougars their first win of the season.

“(Roark) is so fast and strong on the dribble,” Cougars coach Jeff Nolting said. “She’s tough to handle — it doesn’t matter what team we play against. Even when they put two or three players on her she’s tough to match up with. She started looking for help and things opened up her.”

[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]

Trinity opened with a 1-0 advantage when Roark connected on a shot from 30 yards at the 34:39 mark.

Herron tied the game — in part of some miscommunication within five yards of the goal from Trinity — with 20:11 left in the first.

At intermission, the score was deadlocked at 1-1.

Roark scored the next two goals for Trinity, the first off an assist by Maddie Bell and the second on a penalty, as the Cougars led 3-1 with 28:31 left in the game.

Lexi Keller converted a penalty shot to put the Cougars up 4-1 at 16:52.

An assist by senior Emma Patmore gave Roark her fourth goal at 14:29.

Roark scored her final goal from near 15 yards at 13:40.

Freshman Emma Goecker hit a shot from her left foot at the 1:08-mark to give the Cougars the six goal win.

The Cougars’ defense locked-in for the final 40 minutes of play.

“I felt like, as a team, we talked a lot more and kept our shape in the back,” Patmore said. We played more as a team in the second half. The communication really helped.”

Nolting liked how his team pushed the ball in the second half.

“I think the girls got more aggressive,” he said. “We talked about our shape and spacing at half and they did a much better job. I’m really pleased with how we played a lot more physically. It was a better brand of soccer.”

Trinity outshot Herron 29-17 in the game, and Cougars senior keeper Hailley Peters recorded 12 saves.

Trinity moved to 1-1 on the season.

“I feel that we got our first win we will continue to grow as a team,” Patmore said. “We will get better each and every day.”

No posts to display