Gallery by Heather Belcher
Tuesday at H.B. Thomas Field it was Senior Night for the girls and boys soccer teams at Shady Spring High School.
Both teams closed out the regular season in style with a Mercer County sweep.
The ladies knocked off Princeton 5-nil, while the gentleman evened the season series with PikeView with a 2-nil victory.
The ladies took center stage in the opening match and held a 1-nil lead over Princeton at halftime thanks to a goal from Ella Gray in the 24th minute of play.
However, the Raleigh County Tigers could have easily been up multiple goals at the break.
“That is the way it has been for us most of the year. The other night we had 21 shots on goal and scored one,” Shady Spring head coach Joey Beckett said. “Shots are just not dropping or falling. We haven’t allowed a lot of points because our defense plays really well.”
Prior to her score, Gray missed on an attempt that went just wide of the far post and minutes later Kylie Bostic rattled the post, but was denied.
The third near miss came on a blast from Allie Betkijian that drilled the near post and ricocheted across the back line.
The frustration ended in the final 40 minutes.
Before the clock reached the midway point of the second half, senior Katie Garrett had found the back of the net twice in just over 11 minutes for a 3-nil lead.
Garrett gathered a loose ball off a corner kick a booted it inside the far post for her first goal of the night in the 47th minute. Garrett then chipped one over the Princeton keeper from about 20-yards out for her second score.
“I think we played well tonight. My starting center-mid is out and a starting defensive-mid is still out,” Beckett said. “Some of the other girls have stepped up and we have some more experience and depth. I will take it.”
Seven minutes later, Garrett completed the hat trick with her third goal of the night and Cayde Smith capped the scoring with a netter in the 77th minute of play.
Strong play from the back line for the Tigers and some aggressive saves from senior keeper Lili Hatfield preserved the clean sheet for Shady Spring.
“Lili usually makes the key saves. The defensive backs are so good and so fast that sometimes she doesn’t get a lot of saves,” Beckett said. “When she makes one though, it’s a highlight reel. She is not afraid to go get the ball. Most of her saves are phenomenal ones.”
The boys struck quickly on a nice move from senior Michael Vecellio for a 1-nil lead less than a minute into the contest. The Tigers doubled the lead three minutes later and made it stand when Micah Smith found the back of the net.
Nathan Vecellio assisted on both goals and Jack Billeter recorded seven saves to preserve the clean sheet,
Both teams will open sectional play next week. Times and seedings are still to be determined.
