The Piedmont Girls Varsity Soccer team beat Norman and lost matches to Deer Creek and Bishop McGuinness High School at the Deer Creek Invitational Tournament on Friday, March 26 and Saturday March 27.
Friday morning the 5A Lady Wildcats were defeated by Class 6A Deer Creek 2-0. Piedmont was victorious over 6A Norman on Friday afternoon with a 2-1 win with Kelsie Gorman and Jordan Hahn scoring goals. The Lady Wildcats lost to 5A Bishop McGuinness Saturday morning 3-1, with Kennedy Corbin scoring the goal for the Lady Wildcats.
McGuinness scored in the third minute of the game Saturday. Piedmont tied it on a free kick but gave another goal five minutes later.
“We penned them in for most of the second half but they got loose a couple of times. Our center back fouled a wing on a cross our keeper had already saved. So we missed a couple chances and we should have been able to convert,” Piedmont Coach Brad Brucker said.
In the morning game with Deer Creek Friday, the teams were even at halftime, but the Lady Antlers scored on a long range shot and then another goal with about two minutes remaining, taking the match from Piedmont 2-0.
Brucker said the girls had chances to score against Deer Creek, but were outmatched in the midfield.
“I felt like we played really well. It was 1-0 with two minutes to go and they scored. They broke us down right at the end. We really had chances to stay in the game. I thought defensively we were exceptional,” Brucker said.
He said he thought Deer Creek won the game Friday morning with midfielders.
Deer Creek scored on a long-range shot from University of Oklahoma signee Ella Pappas, senior forward. Pappas had hit the crossbar in the first half on a similar shot from distance. On the second attempt, the ball went just under the bar and into the net.
Deer Creek Coach Jacob Kurey gave his observations of the Lady Wildcats after the match.
“I thought it was a great game this morning between two teams who look to play at the top of their respective classes,” Kurey said. “Piedmont is a well-coached team with talented players. I see the Lady Wildcats making a serious run at the 5A State Playoffs. They gave us all we wanted today in a competitive match.”
Kurey said, “We got a couple goals from players who opened their goal scoring accounts for the season this morning, and that made the difference. I’m proud of our approach to the match and the overall performance of the team.”
Piedmont’s girls were scheduled to play a second game Friday when Brucker took a break from a phone interview to bowl. The team was at Heritage Lanes in Oklahoma City bowling between soccer matches. Brucker set down the phone and stepped up to make a strike.
He then added that goalkeeper Hayden Clark played a great game and kept the team’s chances alive early.
“She made five really great saves in the first half. She really did keep us in the game early, but our midfield played well but got overmatched. We are a little thin in the midfield with some injuries. We weathered their storm early,” Brucker said.
Brucker took another break from talking for bowling and then rolled a spare.
Brucker said he thinks this year’s Piedmont squad is the best since soccer came to Piedmont in 2011.
(Photo by Rhonda Stovall)
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(Photo by Rhonda Stovall)
(Photo by Rhonda Stovall)
