West escapes Maryville with one goal win
By Will Estep | (sports@thedailytimes.com)
Returning to their home field did not equate to success for the Maryville High soccer team Wednesday.
The Lady Rebels played their first home match since Sept. 5, but came up short to Knox West in a 1-0 district loss.
Each team played sound defense for most of the match. West came up with the biggest play of the game when sophomore Keeghan Francis scored from 20 yards out as she put the ball into the right side of the net in the 17th minute.
West (7-4-1, 2-2 District 4-AAA) umade the score stand up at John Sevier in the District 4-AAA battle.
Maryville (5-8-1, 1-4) allowed West few opportunities to score the rest of the way.
“It was a tale of two halfs,” Maryville coach Bill Stooksbursaid. “We played with no energy in the first half, and after the girls were challenged a bit they stepped it up in the second half. I thought our second half was really good. We had a couple of opportunities to get that tying goal and it just didn’t happen.”
Only one shot on goal was attempted by Maryville in the first half after playing over the weekend in a tournament in Chattanooga.
That number changed in the second half when the Lady Rebels put up eight shots on goal.
Lady Rebels senior Morgan McCord had a free kick sail just over the crossbar with less than five minutes remaining in the first half.
McCord also had a free kick in the second half that just went over the top of the goal.
The biggest scoring chance for Maryville came with 22 minutes left in the match when senior midfielder Ashley Griffith knocked a shot that was headed straight for the back of the net. It was turned away though as West keeper Keegan McCoy got her hand up at the last second to knock the ball over the goal.
“Great shot, great save,” Stooksbury said. “Their goalkeeper is a senior goalkeeper. She is one of the best in the district and made a save that a goalkeeper of that caliber is going to make, but it was a great shot by Ashley.”
Maryville’s energy turned up both offensively and defensively in the second half. West only had three shots on goal in the second half compared to eight for Maryville.
“I liked everything defensively,” Stooksbury said. “I think we did a great job in the second half and there was nothing really dangerous.”
Maryville faces off in a district match at John Sevier Elementary School against William Blount at 6 p.m. today.
“Very important, it’s a county rival,” Stooksbury said of WB. “I know they are going to come out here revved up to take us down.”
