We played another great game today, but this time the result ended up in our favor. The girls spent the vast majority of the first half pushing the ball up the field and on the attack. We were doing a great job getting the ball wide and sending long through balls when available, two things we were working on since our last game. When the defense did have to get involved, Irby stepped up and snuffed out a few attacks before they even got started. Rodgers did a great job closing down attackers in the box as well, while Miller had a few great stops defending out on the wings. Despite our strong play, we still didn't have a goal until there were about 5 minutes left. At that point, Walton did a fantastic job winning the ball high up the pitch. After taking a few dribbles, a defender got a foot on it, but only managed to poke it over towards Tucker. Once the ball was at her feet, Tucker didn't hesitate to put her leg through it and rip it into the net. That was the play we needed to end the first half on a high note.
Coming out in the second half, Dumbarton showed they weren't going to go down without a fight. They did a better job winning possession and attacking our half. Athey, the second half keeper, came through with a few good saves though and was up to the challenge. About half way through the second half, Tucker was back at it. This time, she got the ball just past midfield and went on a run through the middle. She beat her defender in the box and put a shot just past the keeper towards the goal. To erase any doubt, Staley came through and finished the job, leaving Tucker with a gorgeous assist. A few minutes later, Dumbarton was finally able to break through with a goal of their own, but it was too little, too late. We saw off the rest of the time with some strong defending, and even came close to putting one or two more on the board, particularly with Walton's constant pressure on the defense and keeper. It was a good win against a well matched team, and a great way to start the week. Tomorrow, the gold squad gets to show what they can do at home against Friends. Looking forward to seeing everyone there!