Lady Eagles Shut Down Raiders 4-0

The Lady Eagles (4-2-2) shut down North County’s (2-3) raid on their home turf with a 4-0 victory on Thursday, March 28.

Sullivan was disappointed after a tie and two losses in their previous three games, including a 1-0 fall to Laquey in overtime just two days before.

Head coach Matt Wiegers redrew the game plan against North County and emphasized to his Lady Eagles that they should focus on defense at the start of the matchup.

During the first half, Sullivan’s midfield and backfield helped prevent North County’s advances for a score.

Sullivan’s goalie, Mariah Schatzl, shut down North County’s attacks on the net, even if it meant diving at the ankles of a Lady Raider to take the ball back.

But as the Lady Eagles took their shots, they struggled to bite the bullet and fire them in. Despite senior forward Cambria Pohlman, junior midfielder Jada Adams and sophomore forward Tessa Newman constantly launching strikes across the goal line, North County’s goalie kept on diffusing them.

Sullivan’s luck also fell short due to offside penalties, with one overturning what would have been a score by Newman. The wind also played a factor, with shots sliding off the edge of the goalposts and soaring above the crossbar.

The Lady Eagles broke the scoring drought with eight minutes remaining in the first period. Pohlman drilled the ball over to the net, and Adams gave it a little head-butt to mark the Lady Eagles’ first goal of the match.

Once halftime hit, Wiegers sat down with his squad and thanked his girls for the 1-0 lead. He also suggested they “loosen up a little bit” and “score more to stretch things out.” His message would propel Sullivan to three more goals.

Five minutes into the second half, Adams was rolling the ball along the sidelines, and due to pressure from a Lady Raider chasing her down, she was forced to take the shot. North County’s goalie slid down to try to grip the ball, but Newman swooped in from behind to drop it in for Sullivan’s second score.

Several minutes later, after an army of Lady Raiders crushed Pohlman, she rose back up to assist Adams in blazing up a strike into the net for a 3-0 Lady Eagle lead.

The final nail in the coffin came with 37 seconds left in regulation when Pohlman came in clutch on another corner kick. She aired the ball to senior defender Hayli Venable, who was up in arms with North County’s goalie and nudged the ball into the net.

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