Chargers stun stars with late comeback
DOVER — The experience for the North Montgomery girls’ soccer team was a big factor on Saturday as they defeated Sagamore Conference opponent Western Boone 5-4 in overtime. Early on the Chargers (3-1 1-0 SAC) found themselves down 2-0 after the Stars connected on an early goal form Macy Jones. Just two minutes later a successful penalty kick gave all the momentum to Western Boone.
“In those first 15 minutes, we just weren’t ourselves,” coach Julie Hodges said. “Those two goals we gave up were unfortunate on our end because we had wrong position on a corner kick, and we gave up a PK.”
The two teams then proceeded to trade goals throughout the rest of the game and with just a little over two minutes left, sophomore Teegan Bacon connected off a corner kick from senior Sidney Campbell to trim the deficit to just one at 4-3 with 2:53 left. The Chargers continued to apply the offensive pressure and Campbell scored right at the two-minute mark to tie the game at 4-4.
The game-deciding goal came for the Chargers came in the first overtime with less than one-minute to go as junior Lydia Dugard gave the Chargers their only lead of the game.
“We were asking for them to pick up the intensity all game long,” Hodges said. “We were able to finally settle into our offense a little more in the second half and they picked up the intensity and we wore them down and we were able to take advantage.”
The Chargers were on the opposite end of a comeback last season against the Stars and all 11 starters and 21 returning players remember that loss and didn’t want to have last season repeat itself.
“I think that’s our biggest advantage is bringing everyone of those players back,” Hodges said. “Especially since we’re under the circumstances that we’re in, it feels great that we really don’t have to re-start with anything and can just pick up right where we left off last year.”
Next up for the Chargers will be their first county matchup of the season as they will host Southmont. Last season the Mounties edged out the Chargers in a shootout and Hodges and the rest of the Chargers will look to redeem that loss from last season.
“We’ll be ready, and I know the girls are excited for that matchup,” Hodges said. “County is a number one goal of us every season. With the uncertainty surrounding this season this game is going to be a big milestone for us.”
Early season struggles continue for boys’ soccer
Through their first three games of the season the North Montgomery boys’ soccer team had scored just one goal. Those struggles continued Saturday as the Chargers (0-4 0-2 SAC) were defeated by Western Boone 7-0.
Combine with how young and inexperienced the Chargers are with the layoff because of the COVID-19 pandemic, coach Tristian Hall has said that this season he is different in more ways than one.
“Normally at this point in the season we’d already be able to pick out what’s been going for our team and they’d be close to being in mid-season form,” Hall said. “With what we’ve been going through I haven’t been able to tweak those minor details that I normally would be able to.”
The stars were able to score their first two goals of the game in a three-minute span at right around the 14-minute mark of the 1st half. They added one additional goal before halftime to take a 3-0 lead into the break
The second half saw another flurry of goals for the Stars as they scored three more goals in an eight-minute span to take a 6-0 lead. They added a final goal right before the final horn sounded to walk away with the win.
Hall attributes the early season slump to ‘inexperience and communication.’
“They’re still learning where to be out there on the field,” he said. “We have a lot of first and second-year players out there on offense and it’s kind of difficult to really gauge how we’re doing.”
The Chargers will look to get their first win of the season, much like how they did last year by defeating county rival Southmont. The two teams will square off on Tuesday at Southmont. Hall knows that the Mounties will be coming for revenge after last season’s loss.
“We’re still going in in our eyes as the underdog,” Hall said. “We were able to surprise them last year and drop five goals on them. I know they’re studying us and looking at the fact that we haven’t won a game yet, but that doesn’t change anything for us, we’ll be ready to go.”
