Sophomores Alexa Hernandez and Justyna Gargala and freshman Hannah DeVane scored 2 goals each to lead East Bladen to a 7-0 Four County Conference victory Thursday night at West Bladen.
The first East Bladen goal came in the eighth minute. The Lady Eagles were awarded a penalty kick for a handball in the box, and DeVane fired the kick low and to the left of the keeper.
A few minutes later, a West Bladen foul just outside the 18 yard box set up Gargala for the penalty kick. “Justyna played the kick quickly, shooting and scoring over the West Bladen defense and keeper who seemed to be caught off guard,” said East Bladen Coach Jay Raynor.
The Lady Eagles kept the pressure on and had several good pushes and looks at goal. Hernandez beat a defender and scored the third goal of the first half.
The second half was a repeat of the first. “We were able to continue to apply lots of pressure on their backline,” said Coach Raynor. “It didn’t take long for Justyna to score her second goal of the evening. DeVane and Hernandez would follow suit all of a span of 15 minutes.”
Freshman Jayme Frady added the final goal with 5 minutes left to play. Frady kneed a pass that went up and over the keeper.
“We played well and applied lots of pressure,” continued Raynor. “We have had a tough go lately with close losses, overtimes, and even penalty kicks, you would have never been able to figure out that we were coming off of that if you watched the game.”
“The girls played with a lot of energy and determination,” stated Coach Raynor. “Our midfield is key. When we dominate the midfield, our winning percentage and goals scored is at its best. Lexi Mendell and Ayana Avery helped control the midfield tonight. Those two combined with Claire Campbell, Blair Potter, Madison Smith, and Jiovana Vasques make it a very strong midfield with a lot of attacking options.”
Raynor added,”We were able to play everyone tonight and give some players a good amount of time. It’s always fun to get everyone involved and see them have fun. We are much improved from last year and looking to continue to build.”
As for the play-offs, Coach Raynor is not sure if the Lady Eagles will get a playoff berth. “It might be a good distance to travel but the girls are ready to play regardless where the game is. We improved from 2-15 on last year to 7-10 this year with a conference record of 5-9.”
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