In a physical fight to the finish with Clarkston Sept. 14, the Lady Blackhawks lost 1-0 in a shootout despite dominating the game with more than 80 percent possession.
The team’s defense was on-point as it has been all season, only giving up three goals thus far. Junior defender Kat Smith kept pressure on Clarkston’s offense, getting forward from the back with a quick recovery.
Frequent substitutions on the Clarkston team pulled Cheney players’ focus and drew out the game.
“They were hoping to go to a shootout,” said Cheney head coach Nels Radtke. “I think we were relying on the outside shot too much.”
The Lady Blackhawks won Sept. 11’s away conference game against Pullman in overtime by a score of 2-1 thanks to sophomore midfielder Lauryn Woller.
That performance bodes well for the team’s Sept. 18 game against West Valley, which was defeated 4-0 by Pullman earlier this month.
The Lady Blackhawks’ season is currently 2-3 overall and the girls have consistently put up low numbers in terms of goals scored. A notable exception was their 5-0 defeat of East Valley earlier this month, but it’s a performance that thus far has not been repeated.
“We gotta find the back of the net,” Radtke said. “We need to work on getting combinations going and supporting the forward.”
Going forward Radtke said the team will be working on shooting and transitions that allow them to improve their offense.
“They do shoot the ball well, but I just don’t feel like they have the confidence,” Radtke said.
Friday’s physical game with Clarkston was not the first; the two teams have a long history of heated physical play on the pitch.
Shannen Talbot can be reached at [email protected].
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