DOVER — A penalty kick by Chloe Lynn late in the second half was the difference for Southmont’s girls soccer team as they opened Sagamore Conference play with a 2-1 win over Western Boone.
Lynn’s goal, her first of the season, came with 3:23 left on the game clock and gives the Mounties their second one-goal win of the season and moves them to 2-0-1.
The Stars, who tied the match midway through the second half, were playing their season-opener.
“We’ve stressed staying focused in the close games,” third-year South coach Phil Keller said, noting a handful of one-goal losses last season. “Never give up, there is always time to win.”
That winning goal came when the Stars were called for a foul in the forward zone.
Lynn, the junior, lined up her attempt and pulled the shot back to her left, as Lili Jones, the WeBo goal keeper, went to the right.
“It was a heck of a penalty kick,” Keller said.
After a scoreless first half, with both teams getting a couple of scoring chances and three shots on goal each, the Mounties got on the board first, and that goal started with their net-minder.
Belle Miller stretched all of her six-foot frame out to save a shot, and after gaining control, the South offense took the ball immediately to the other end of the pitch, where Lillie Odum finished the job with a cross-over move that got her clear of the defense and she smacked in her fourth goal of the young season with 16:21 on the clock.
“It’s all about working together,” Keller said. “Belle makes the save, the defense does a great job, and the offense picked up the momentum. Everybody contributed and hard work paid off.”
The Stars tied the match less than three minutes after South’s goal, as their all-conference player, and returning team MVP, KayLeigh Steimel, worked her way around the defense and found the back of the net.
“I’m so proud of the girls, “ second-year WeBo coach Shane Steimel said. “We played hard, but it’s early, and after losing a lot of good players from last year, we are still learning. We are trying to find our best positions and our anticipation wasn’t always the best tonight. We saw a lot of good things, though, and we will get better, and most importantly, we will continue to do the best we can to represent our school and our community. We went about 15 players deep tonight so we could get lots of players some looks in different positions.”
The Stars did have a couple of scoring chances where shots went just over the net, and they finished with six total shots on goal, with Miller saving five.
South got nine shots on goal total.
Keller, who picked up his first win over the Stars, was pleased with his team and the whole effort.
“Our mantra is play tough, play smart and play together,” he said. “I thought we did all three tonight.”
The Mounties are back in action next Tuesday with another Sagamore road trip to Boone County, and a match with Lebanon.
