Cougars stymied by Pirates, Hornets
From our weekly issue dated November 04, 2009
In a high-pressure game, the Lady Cougars soccer team played the Pirates in Phoenix on Tuesday, Oct. 27.
The Pirates struck first at the 16:58-minute mark to make it 1-0. Phoenix applied constant pressure in the attack area and was successful by scoring 5 more times to make the first-half score 6-0.
The I.V. team already was banged up going into the game with only 11 players, so three girls had to “Cougar-up” and give it their all. Even Xenia Velasco had some issues. First she had a ball kicked into her face; then later she got tangled up with a Pirate in front of the goal, and twisted her knee.
Velasco continued to perform at a high level. Carrie Snyder also took a kicked ball off her face, but continued to play, despite bleeding from her nose. Officials had to pull Snyder out of the game because there is no quit in her.
Laurissa Tausaga finished up in goal for the Cougars and only surrendered three more goals in the second half. The final score was 9-0. Phoenix.
“Jamie Sowell slowed them down and denied attacks on the left side; Kieren Rose played consistently and played up and back, supporting and defending; and Alex Manninen stepped it up, picked up her pace and was always first to the ball,” said coach Roz Brown.
“They all played great,” she stated.
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On the road again, I.V. went over the hill to Klamath Falls to take on Henley. The Hornets scored fast and often in the first half to take a 6-0 lead. However, Tausaga put an end to that and scored Illinois Valley’s second goal of the season at the 37-minute mark.
Stephanie Agee and Tausaga started with a 2-on-2 and worked it to Tausaga, who took a shot which deflected off a Hornet, right back to Tausaga. She then turned the defender around and had a
1-on-1 with the Hornet goalie. Tausaga fired a shot high which sailed over the outstretched arms only to hit the crossbar and find its way into the net.
Jessyka Smith had 9 saves in goal, one of which was a 1-on-1 penalty kick from a hand-ball call in the box. Kelly Duncan had 4 saves in the second half.
Noted Brown, “Marisol and Kristen defended well; Carrie was fabulous on the left side; and Kieren cut down the passing lanes. We played as a team today.”
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