Both Trinity Lutheran High School’s girls and boys soccer teams hosted Rising Sun on Saturday.
While the girls edged the Shiners for the first time in school history, the boys were blanked by the visitors.
Hoene leads Cougars in victory
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Trinity senior Sidney Hoene had a career day against the Shiners in the team’s home-opener.
Hoene totaled four goals — a personal best — to help the Cougars beat the Shiners 5-4. The win was also marked the first time Trinity had beaten the Shiners in the Cougars’ four years of having a program.
The Shiners got on the scoreboard first when a shot from Sydney Pitts found the back of the net eight minutes into the game.
Hoene answered with her first goal five minutes later, finishing a shot just inside the 18-yard-box for Trinity (1-1).
Rising Sun retook the lead with 6:04 left in the first half, as Hannah Warr hit a rebound in the box past Trinity keeper Genesis Munoz.
At the break, the Shiners led 2-1.
Hoene took a 25-yard free kick with 34:42 left in the game and slotted past the Shiners’ goalie to retie the game.
At the 23;38-mark, freshman Kailene Cockerham lifted a pass over the Shiners’ defense and found Hoene. Hoene took a touch and finished to give the Cougars their first lead.
“After the Providence game (5-0 loss), we talked to (Hoene) about putting herself in position,” Cougars coach Jeff Nolting said. “We talked about putting a defender on her back to allow that pass to come through. That’s what happened on her third goal.”
Kinsey Price’s goal for Rising Sun tied the game at three with 20:22 left in the contest.
Cockerham put the Cougars up 4-3 on a shot just inside the box with 18:18 left in the game.
“I’m happy that she was able to score,” Nolting said of Cockerham. “She worked so hard today. She is trying to find herself in the high school game.”
Hoene extended the Cougars’ lead to two goals just over a minute later off a rebound on a corner kick.
Nolting said that Hoene did a good job of staying aggressive throughout the game, and finishing goal-scoring opportunities.
While the Shiners scored with 11:37 on the clock, the Cougars were able to hold on the rest of the way.
Cockerham had two assists and Maddie Bell had one for the Cougars.
The Cougars out-shot the Shiners 24-22 in the offensive showcase.
In goal, Munoz recorded 10 saves for Trinity.
Trinity has a mix of new and old faces in its lineup this season.
The Cougars have four seniors, four juniors, three sophomores and three freshmen.
Hoene, Bell, Lauren Fleetwood and Emilee Lang are the Cougars’ seniors. Lang returns to the Cougars after injuries kept her sidelined for almost two seasons.
“It’s great to see (Lang) get back on the field,” Nolting said. “She has worked really hard to get back. She has been through a lot with her injuries. There just aren’t a lot of kids that would put forward that type of effort to come back and play. I’m glad she is out there on the field.”
Trinity will host Indianapolis Herron tonight.
Shiners blast Cougars
Through the team’s first two games of the 2018 season, Trinity’s boys soccer team has given up 16 goals.
The young Cougars struggled to get any offensive momentum over the weekend, falling to the Shiners 7-0.
Rising Sun’s Jordan Parsons scored his team’s first two goals of the game (32:19, 29:49) to give the Shiners an early cushion.
Jake Bovard then scored a brace before the half, extending the Shiners’ lead to four.
At the break, Trinity assistant coach Justin Vorthmann told his team to focus on doing the little things right.
“Right now we have a lot of players who are young to the varsity level,” Vorthmann said. “We are still trying to find their spots where they compliment each other best. We have to get used to moving as a group, and being able to anticipate where our passes are going to go. We need to break it all the way down to the simple things like receiving a pass, making a touch, passing, and moving. That’s what I told them at halftime.
Bovard completed a hat-trick with 22:16 left in the game before Zac Brokaw (17:38) and Landon Cole (11:51) each added scores.
The Cougars (0-2) were out-shot 38-10 in the contest. Kevin Cho led the Cougars with four shot attempts and A.J. Goecker had three.
Vorthmann said that the team played much better in the second half despite giving up three more goals.
“We saw some good things in the second half in that regard (of simplifying),” he said. “There were a handful of times where we had short passes and moved down the field. It was good that I was able to communicate that with them, and show them that if we do those little things correctly it will produce positive results.”
Nathan Thompson started in goal, and had two saves while giving up two goals. Trent Shoemaker went in goal after the second score, and finished with 12 saves .
The Cougars have five seniors on the team, three juniors, four sophomores and five freshmen.
“We have five or six players that are new to the varsity scene,” Vorthmann said. “The good thing is that they are getting experience and getting it quick.”
The Cougars go to Indianapolis Lutheran tonight.