With heavy losses to graduation, Beckley girls soccer head coach Julie Agnor wasn’t completely sure what the 2023 season would hold.
If game one is any indicator, the Flying Eagles could be a strong player when the postseason arrives in late October.
Powered by a hat trick from Carolina Ortiz and Kendyl Hayhurst, Beckley rolled by Riverside, 7-0, Carter Family Foundation Field Thursday.
“It has taken work to get to this game. I wasn’t exactly sure what I was going to see, but they played like I coached them,” Agnor said. “When they do that and perfect the things that I want them to perfect, it changes the game. They are starting to see that.”
The Flying Eagles went on the attack immediately firing four shots in the first ten minutes of play. The first shot on frame was in the 14th minute by Ortiz and was the sign of a bubbling volcano about to erupt.
Following a good look on set piece that did not find the mark. Ortiz ripped a blast off of the Warrior keeper that spilled back into play. There to gather the rebound was Hayhurst for the for the first goal in the 23rd minute.
“Carolina can be a game-changer and she is very unselfish. She sees gaps and she puts the ball there and that helps,” Agnor said. “That is also helping Kendyl as well. She is feeding Kendal and allowing her to grow herself. They are kind of a dynamic duo because they are working together.”
Three minutes later, Beckley doubled the lead when Carly Fisher found Ortiz in the box with a nice pass. Some nifty footwork from Ortiz created the gap before she rifled home the winner.
“If they get their head up and they look for a pass instead of just killing the ball, they will make a play,” Agnor said. “That is what this game was. They started to see the passes and the open spaces. It just all came together.”
With the clock ticking under ten minutes to play in the opening, half Jocelyn Lilly created the opening and found Ortiz free for the third goal to give the Flying Eagles a 3-0 lead at the break.
Much of the Beckley success came from the wing moving the ball back into the middle where Ortiz and Hayhurst were lurking.
“If we can change the field quickly that will help us a lot,” Agnor said. “We have Isabella Umberger who has played the right wing for four years. It is evident that she knows where to put the ball.”
Hayhurst added two goals in the second half, assisted by Fisher and Ortiz. A pass from Lexi Scott preceded the third goal from Ortiz for her hat trick.
Jocelyn Lilly rounded out the scoring for the Flying Eagles with the assist going to Olivia McCracken.
Mia Seiter recorded the clean sheet with three saves.
“I am a passing coach and passing is key for us,” Agnor said. “If we can possess the ball, then we own the field. If we dribble and lose the ball, we lose the field.”
Beckley (1-0) hosts Cabell Midland Saturday at 11 a.m.
