Lady Pioneer soccer team clips Gallatin 1-0

By ROB NUNLEY / Sports Editor for the Southern Standard (McMinnville, Tenn.)

Goalkeeper Lacey Griffith makes a save against Tullahoma earlier this week. Griffith and her Lady Pioneer teammates improved to 2-1 with a 1-0 win at Gallatin Friday. (Rob Nunley photo)

While their performance might not have been perfect, and their only goal might not have been pretty, the Lady Pioneer soccer team came away satisfied from Friday’s road contest at Gallatin after picking up a 1-0 win.

With the victory the Lady Pioneers improved to 2-1, and wrapped up a busy — and tiring — opening week to the 2002 season.

“Our legs weren’t under us, and we really didn’t play that well, but this was our third game in five days, and we were still able to control the game,” said WCHS coach Alan Brownyard. “The defense played pretty well, and we shot all night, we just didn’t hit.

“Some nights, like against Crossville on Monday (an 8-1 win), it seems like you hit every shot you take. But (Friday) was just one of those games where we couldn’t get anything to go in.”

The shot that the Lady Pioneers were able to go in, which proved to be the only one they would need, came midway through the second half off the foot of Kirby Broom.

Linsey Cornelius sent in a corner kick that was deflected to the ground by Gallatin’s keeper, and in the ensuing scramble Broom was able to send the game-winner into the net.

“The keeper made the initial stop off the corner; she got a hand on the kick, and knocked it down,” Brownyard said, describing his team’s goal. “Then there was like a scrum, and Kirby just toe-poked it in.

“It wasn’t pretty, but it counted. We’ll take it.”

On the other end of the field things weren’t too busy for Lady Pioneer keeper Lacey Griffith. But Brownyard said when the time came to keep the shutout intact, his keeper answered the challenge.

“Lacey had to make one big save, and that was it,” he said. “But that one was huge.”

Brownyard noted he was especially impressed with the play of freshman Shea Martin, who saw action at right striker.

“Her play really stepped up, and she had best game she’s played so far,” he said. “That was important, because we need some other strikers to step up.

“As people figure out where our strength lies, they’ll adjust the way they defend us, and we’ll need our other strikers to be able to give us another weapon on offense.

“Shea stepped up and did that (Friday). It was like she had another gear. She played exceptionally well.”

The Lady Pioneers hit the road Tuesday for a 7 p.m. varsity matchup at Franklin County, and are scheduled to play host to Coffee County Thursday evening.