Lady Broncos clash with DeKalb: Boyd soccer notches first victory of 2003

By DALE STUBBLEFIELD / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

Lady Bronco Elly Ahn struggles for possession of the ball against a Lady Tiger from Dekalb County during first half action Tuesday afternoon at Boyd. (Dale Stubblefield photo)

Looking for their first win of the season, the Lady Broncos took on DeKalb County Tuesday afternoon at home. Boyd entered the match determined to play very aggressively, and that enthusiasm paid off with a 2-1 victory over the Lady Tigers.

The Lady Broncos came out in full control of the first half. Mid-field defense by the Lady Broncos kept the ball on the offensive side of the field, and with just three minutes of the clock Boyd’s Mary Reynolds took her team’s first attempt as she fired a shot that just missed, hitting the crossbar and sailing over the goal. With Boyd on offense, Jennifer Laxton took their next attempt five minutes later but DeKalb’s goalie made a diving effort for the save.

The Lady Tigers finally made an offensive charge with three shots fired at goal over the next 10 minutes, but Boyd goalkeeper Emily Newby turned all the attempts away.

Fatigue started to become a factor for both teams as the field temperature reached 100 degrees. With just under 10 minutes to play in the first half, the Lady Broncos charged downfield and Laxton found an opening in the Lady Tiger defense, scoring Boyd’s first goal from 15 yards out. The Broncos went in at the half with a 1-0 lead.

Both teams showed the results of the day’s heat, but Boyd still kept up its intensity in the opening moments of the second half. The Lady Tigers struggled on defense and Reynolds took advantage of several DeKalb mistakes to give the Lady Broncos their second goal of the game with 30 minutes left to play. The Broncos continued to work hard on offense and had a total of 16 shots at goal in the second half.

The Lady Tigers found the back of the net with eight minutes left to play, but Boyd was able to hold on to its 2-1 lead. The Lady Broncos had several more chances late in the game to up their lead, but each shot just missed its mark.

The Lady Broncos had 24 shots on the day, while Newby recorded 10 saves.

“I’m so proud of these girls,” coach Teresa Sutton said. “They worked very hard today and never let the heat slow them down.

“Our defense did a great job of getting back and clearing the ball, which gave our offense plenty of chances to score. For the most part we played the game on offense. This was our first home game — and our first win — and I couldn’t be happier.”

The Lady Broncos took on Livingston Academy Thursday, and hit the road for a game against Mt. Juliet Christian Tuesday.