On Thursday, September 5, the Loyola Crusaders Soccer Team hosted the Triton Cobras for their first game since the final days of August. They had ample time to prepare for this match, on the practice field and the film room, and their preparations yielded a winning result. As the game was set to begin, the crowd of parents, students and Crusader supporters let out a great cheer as the starting players were announced.
Shelby Beyer, Sarah Nelson, Brooke Hagen, Allision Wheeler, Sophie Nachreiner, Payton Whittet, Finley Roe, Maddie Cooney, Vivian Krosch, and Morgan Roemhildt were the starting eleven with Kamryn Hawkins at goalie. After five minutes of game time, it was clear that the Crusaders and Cobras would be having a competitive match. They appeared evenly matched in strength, but the Crusaders were put on the defense early in the first half. The Cobras scored a goal half way through the first half of the game, now 0 – 1 . Undeterred, and motivated, the Crusaders did not let up in their scoring attempts. Beyer was a major factor in most offensive, as her field presence on the opposing goal’s left allowed Whittet and Maddie Wentz opportunities to tie the game before the half, but the Crusaders remained scoreless.
With the wisdom of Head Coaches Peterson and Nachreiner fresh in their minds, the Crusaders returned to the pitch with the goal to score a goal or two. Cooney, Nachreiner, and Wheeler continued their offensive play from the first half and made moves on the ball that kept their opponents on the defensive. With the final twenty minutes of the game beginning to count down, the Crusaders scored the tying goal. Payton Whittet drove the ball deep towards the goal and took a tumble getting it there, so Allsion Wheeler ran in to make sure the ball got into the goal. Neither team was willing to give up the ghost, but the Crusaders were taking advantage of the frustrated Cobras. In the last few minutes of the game, Maddie Cooney and Payton Whittet scored the game winning goal off of a penalty. The Cobras were determined to create a wall of players at the goal to assure that the ball would not get past them, but the play of the two Crusaders mixed the snakes up, and the ball slipped through their wall; to their absolute dismay. The Crusaders were victorious, winning 2 – 1.
The Crusaders have show their strength to fight for the win and improve their scoring, and Thursday’s victory should inspire them to perform just as well at their next matches. They run a gauntlet of games this coming week. Their first will be on Tuesday, September 10, the second on Thursday the 12, and the final of the week on Saturday the 14.
