(Gainesville, GA) – On Saturday, September 6th at Allen Creek, the Golden Tiger’s soccer team took victory over Montreat College.
In the first half, the Golden Tigers controlled the game, outshooting the Cavaliers 9-1. However, Brenau was unable to score, leaving a 0-0 tie at halftime.
After continuing to knock on the door with shot after shot, the Golden Tigers were finally rewarded in the 78th minute, when senior Kayla Madsen scored her second goal of the year to give Brenau a 1-0 lead. In the 84thminute, the Cavaliers helped seal the victory for the Golden Tigers by scoring an own goal giving a 2-0 lead.
Brenau outshot Montreat 8-1 in the second half and 17-2 for the entire game. Senior keeper Tori Brown saved two shots on goal to help secure the win.
“It was great to get the win and shutout, and obviously with it being our second win and shutout in a row, we continue to gain confidence,” said Mike Lochstampfor, head coach.
“Although we had the majority of the offense, we struggled to put anything in the back of the net. I was pleased that despite the early lack of scoring, we didn’t give up and were able to finally capitalize on our chances,” he said in an interview.
According to Montreat’s athletic page, “The whole game was a struggle back and forth; both teams bending, bending, and bending, and neither team seeming to break… the final score did not indicate the true battle that went on, during that whole ninety-minute game.”
The Cavaliers Assistant Coach Aaron Kimball was pleased with how the girls played.
“We are very proud of our girls for how they fought and continued to dig deep and fight. We couldn’t have asked for more,” he expressed in an interview.
The crowd was small but the energy and support were very loud! The fans made posters and kept cheering on the Golden Tigers until the last whistle blew.
“We needed to play our game, start and finish with high intensity. They are a dangerous team if you let them hang around. Also, maintaining a high level of possession is key in creating scoring opportunities for our team,” stated Marilyn Anderson, Brenau’s assistant soccer coach, on going into the game.
The strong points for the Tigers were the effort from the entire team and relentless attack leading to our two goals. They played high pressure and the other team couldn’t last.
Brenau’s fitness was by far better than the Cavaliers, so it allowed them to push for the full 90 minutes.
The weak points were their ability to finish in the final third. The Tiger’s out shot them 21-2. Of their 21 shots, only seven were on frame. They had two shots on goal and both were on frame.
They also did not do well winning the 50/50 balls. By not winning the 50/50 balls it caused the defenders to get pulled out of shape causing some dangerous situations.
Against a better team they will capitalize on those mistakes.
Senior defender Elizabeth Campbell has a different view point being a player on the field.
“I thought that it was one of our slowest games we have played after making the changes after the first 2 games. I feel like it took us until the end of the game to figure out how to play again, but it’s really nice to still have a win under us with Kayla’s two game winning goals. We will need to step up the intensity and passion if we want to win the rest of the season and see the conference tournament though,” she said.
“I feel like the majority of the team connects on the field, but I believe that we lack connection in the center of the field. In order for the whole team to connect, we must all go at the same pace, communicate, and make runs on and off the ball,” Campbell expressed.
Brenau (2-1-1) hosts #8 ranked Cumberland (Tenn.) University next Saturday at 7 pm at Allen Creek Soccer Complex in a battle of NAIA Top 25 teams.
For more info about NAIA rankings and Brenau soccer click here!
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