Home Notice Box Sports West Liberty-Salem too much for Greeneview

West Liberty-Salem too much for Greeneview

0

JAMESTOWN — The Greeneview Rams were able to contain West Liberty-Salem’s all-everything Gabby Hollar, Oct. 2.

But the Tigers showed they had more than just the Ohio Heritage Conference’s No. 2 goal scorer in a 4-1 win over the Rams in a thunder-delayed soccer match at Don Nock Field. Three players not named Hollar scored for the Tigers, who improved to 9-3-1 overall and 6-0-1 in the OHC, tightening their grip on second place behind 6-0-0 Greenon. The Rams, who hadn’t lost since a 1-0 setback Aug. 30 at Greenon, drop to 8-2-1 overall and 4-2-1 in the OHC.

“They had enough,” Rams Coach Shawn Brown said of the Tigers. “West Liberty-Salem has an excellent team. (They were) the best team we played this year. Counter attacked us real hard.”

It wasn’t the counter attack that actually got the Tigers going. It was the opening kickoff. West Liberty-Salem scored just six seconds into the match, which didn’t start on time due to a pair of thunder delays that occurred after both teams began pre-game warm-ups.

Sophomore Grace Estes beat the Greeneview defenders to a long pass after the opening touch and beat junior keeper Shelby Rutherford just six seconds into the match.

The Rams were shell-shocked, but they didn’t let that snowball into more goals.

Greeneview sophomore Josie Faris — fifth in the OHC in scoring — had a pair of shots in front of the net about a minute later, but WLS had a defender to stop the first, while the second went through the football uprights.

With 22 minutes left in the half, freshman Kelsi Eakins just missed with a shot that hooked to the side.

Rutherford kept the Rams close with 8:40 left, tipping away a shot and corralling the ball before a WLS player could follow. Neither team had a major threat the rest of the first half.

The Tigers went up 2-0 with 37:47 left in the match when Hollar smashed a loose ball in the box into the net.

Greeneview scored a minute later when senior Hannah Ferrell found junior Faith Rutherford with a crossing pass. Rutherford dribbled to the side and sent a hard right-footed shot by Tigers senior keeper Rachel McGill.

Junior defender Brooklyn Langford — who dazzled the crowd with her long flip-throws from the side — kept it a 2-1 game with 19:44 left, clearing a ball with the net open after Rutherford came out to make a play.

The Tigers put the game away with 17:20 left when a shot from sophomore Sophie Cole floated under the crossbar and over Rutherford’s hands. Junior Rachel Davis scored the final goal with 6:24 left.

“The work ethic was there,” Brown said. “Hit the crossbar a couple times. I can’t complain about how hard they played. We had a couple opportunities and we just didn’t finish.”

The Rams host Northeastern at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 4 for their next match.

http://www.xeniagazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2018/10/web1_GreeneviewRamsLogo_PS.jpg

Greeneview’s Kayli Vipperman collides with a West Liberty-Salem defender during the first half of a girls high school soccer game, Oct. 2 in Jamestown.
http://www.xeniagazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2018/10/web1_DSC_6473.jpgGreeneview’s Kayli Vipperman collides with a West Liberty-Salem defender during the first half of a girls high school soccer game, Oct. 2 in Jamestown. Scott Halasz | Greene County News

Greeneview defender Brooklyn Langford performs a flip throw in the first half, Oct. 2 at Don Nock Field in Jamestown.
http://www.xeniagazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2018/10/web1_DSC_6478.jpgGreeneview defender Brooklyn Langford performs a flip throw in the first half, Oct. 2 at Don Nock Field in Jamestown. Scott Halasz | Greene County News

By Scott Halasz

[email protected]

Contact Scott Halasz at 937-502-4507.