Soccer Knights Remain Undefeated After Recent Offensive Explosions
By Anthony Jones
Heading into this past week, Triad’s girls soccer team sat at 3-0-1. The team was rolling, but yet they had been slow to start on the offensive side of things, scoring only two first half goals through their first four games. Those concerns are long gone however after the onslaught of early goals they scored in games this past week.
The first game on the calendar was an April 27 bout with the Civic Memorial Eagles. This was Triad’s third Mississippi Valley Conference game of the year, but their first on the road.
After one half of action, Triad tied their season high goal total with five goals. In the second half, the team added five more to win by a final score of 10-0.
An onslaught of Lady Knights scored in the game. Maddie Milligan, Karen Speer, and Gabbie Wod all scored two. Other goal scorers on the night were Carson Bohnensthiel, Caty Burton, Laney Harshany, and Kinlee Lippert. Grace Cawvey and Reagan Chigas combined for a shutout in goal for Triad.
Two days later, the team hosted the Jerseyville Panthers. The visitors entered with a solid 3-2 record on the year.
Just as they had done the previous game, Triad scored their season high after just one half of action, this time with a 10-0 lead. Despite a shortened second half, this lead continued to grow until it turned into a 12-0 final.
Burton and Wood led Triad’s balanced offense with a pair of goals each. The other eight goals were booted in by Gracie Giacoletto, Desiree Hensiek, Brynn Presley, Abigail Shaft, Savannah Stauffer, Avery Bohnensthiehl, Carson Bohnensthiel, and Milligan. Cawvey recorded a solo shutout in goal for the Lady Knights.
The team’s next game on May 1 would prove to be more competitive. On their home turf, Triad took on the Maroons of Belleville West.
After what would be considered a slow start in comparison to their last two games, Triad scored the first goal of the game with 28 minutes left in the first half. Ezra Wilder delivered the shot after receiving a long pass, putting her team up 1-0.
In the final moments of the half, Triad would score yet again. Carson Bohnensthiel found an opening and used it, giving her team an advantage that would hold for the next six minutes until half.
The next half was a more quiet affair, but a Macy Mell score towards the end of the game extended the lead to 3-0, which would be good for the final score. Kendall and Reagan Chigas combined for the shutout in goal that moved the team to 7-0-1 on the year.
