Goalkeeper Ezry Martin was bored in the rescheduled game against Marshall on Wednesday.
Martin didn’t touch the ball, but thrice in the game. Standing stoic and alert, she spent most of her time on the outskirts of the penalty box, stifling yawns. The boredom is not a weakness, but rather a testament to the Lady Tiger’s defensive skills, laying down a 5-0 victory.
During the top of the first half, junior Caroline Byrd started off strong with a crucial pass to sophomore Hannah Brantley, allowing her to score the first goal of the night.
“We are really good friends on and off the field,” Brantley said, “and we just really wanted to do well, so we just passed the ball to each other and won.”
Midfielder senior Rachel Lassitter was unable to play due to a hurt MCL, but senior Lindsey Knotts compensated with her agility and aggression on the field.
“I didn’t mind playing it, but I would rather play offensive mid where I can go up and help the offense,” Knotts said. “Not many people know what they are doing in the center mid’s spot unless they’ve practiced it before. No one had practiced it except for me and Rachel. So it was just stressful,”
The first half concluded with goals scored by Byrd, Brantley and sophomore Kayla McKee.
“It felt awesome to score,” McKee said. “The crowd was yelling, getting all pumped up, and I wanted to go out and just do it again.”
The bone chilling weather didn’t keep the fans locked up at home, armed with hot chocolate, lettermans, and posters, the fans stuck out the cold and cheered for their Tigers.
“I love coming out here when it’s really cold,” junior Clete Norton said. “The atmosphere makes the game more intense.”
The second half was a small comeback, with the final goal scored by McKee, sealed another victory for the Tigers.
“We needed to come out strong in this game, and I feel like we did that with a 5-0 win,” Brantley said. “It was just a confidence booster for the next one.”
However, one of Marshal’s midfielders was not so pleased with the game, and spouted her distress. Senior Melissa Minter was the biggest victim of Marshal’s wrath.
“She spit on me and then she missed. She spit on me again and then she hit me. I turned around and I said, ‘Stop spitting on me,” Minter said. “She was telling everyone on her team that she was going to spit in our faces.”
Technique, strategy, and grit all go into the well-oiled machine called a soccer team.
“We have a few things we need to work on, but I think we played pretty good tonight,” junior Cheyenne Sepulveda said.
The season is unpredictable, but the recent games maybe foretelling a future with many victories and hopefully a gilded trophy.
“We’re undefeated right now,” Brantley said, “so looks like it’s going to be a good season.”
