North Surry picked up its first win of the 2023 soccer season by defeating Alleghany 3-0.
The Greyhounds fired 28 shots at the visiting Trojans in the March 20 match. The Alleghany keeper had more than a dozen saves, even blocking a penalty kick, but couldn’t stop the trio of goals scored by North.
“We just kept on it and kept shooting, and that’s one of the things I was really proud of,” said North Surry coach Rachel Escobar. “We kept shooting until the very last minute. That’s one thing we’ve been trying to instill in them: to keep playing hard until the very end, no matter how the game is going.
“They’ve worked really hard and earned a good win.”
Like most local soccer teams, North Surry (1-3-1) has looked to build momentum this season despite playing in relatively few matches. Teams began playing games the last week of February, but only one Surry County team – Surry Central – played more than four matches through the first three weeks of competition due to weather postponements and spring break.
The Greyhounds opened the season with two matches against 3A Ashe County (5-0) – a team that has outscored 2023 opponents 38-3 and is ranked in the top 10 of the 3A West (via MaxPreps).
North Surry next ran into powerhouse West Stokes (3-2-1) twice. The Greyhounds and Wildcats tied on March 9, which marked the first time in the past decade that West didn’t defeat North; West Stokes was previously 19-0 in the rivalry since 2013.
West Stokes won the rematch against North Surry 3-0 on March 15.
“Our early schedule was a little out of the ordinary this season,” Escobar said. “I thought that, especially against West Stokes here, they played well and worked hard but we just got a little bit unlucky.”
Coming back from spring break, North Surry posted a statement win with the shutout against Alleghany. Cynthia Chaire scored North’s only goal of the first half, then Chaire assisted on second-half goals by Melanie Castillo Ochoa and Kimberly Elias.
The Greyhound defense held the Trojans to just three shots on goal, all of which were saved by senior keeper Baley Hawks.
Alleghany only made it into North Surry’s defensive third three times in the second half. The first resulted in a corner kick that the Hounds quickly booted out of harm’s way, and the second saw Sadie Badgett make the stop on defense before a clearance by Ashley Flores. The Trojans attacked up the left sideline late in the game and sent a cross into the box, but the shot that followed was stopped by Hawks.
“They’re coming along and progressing well,” Escobar said of her team.
Entering conference play will be North Surry’s true test, Escobar said, as the Hounds are set to compete in multiple matches each week for the remainder of the regular season. The coach said she’s excited with the team’s progress to this point, and that she’s looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead.
“We’ve got some pretty young, inexperienced players that have made a lot of progress since the beginning,” Escobar said. “They’re coming together well as a team. For this point in the year I’m pleased with where we are as far as progress, and we’re looking for a little more each time out.”
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com
Be First to Comment