The world remains spinning properly upon its axis after North Oconee's Lady Titans once again defeated the Lady Warriors of Oconee County High School Friday night. In what was a fiercely and passionately contested match, the women of the North continued their reign of soccer supremacy in the cross county rivalry. Kirby Smart himself would have been duly impressed by the level of physicality and intensity on display throughout the game. (He might want to use some video of the contest as inspiration for the Bulldogs). North Oconee scored the lone and deciding goal early in the first half. Credit goes to Lilah Turk for driving the ball past Warrior goalie Christen Wilson to secure the score, but even more credit belongs to Callee "AB" (Ankle Breaker) Maughan for finding Turk's foot with the excellent and hard won cross. Maughan left no fewer than 4 or possibly 5 Oconee defenders feeling used, abused, and confused on her way to the right corner. In spite of several very physical attempts by various Warriors to thwart her advance, #4 stopped and started, feinted and darted, in, around, and through them all. The deft footwork and determined drive would have been for naught had she not finished the drill with the accurate and playable cross. It was beautiful to behold.
The battle continued through the first period and on into the second with both teams striving desperately to find any small crack, crevice, or crease they might exploit for a score. However, effective goalie work and swarming defense by both the Titans and the Warriors ruled the day going forward. As the match wore on, the sense of urgency and alarm grew within Oconee's squad becoming nearly palpable and their girls fought harder still but in the end North Oconee's stalwart defenders deflected every attempt and Taylor Frew once again earned the shutout in goal. Great job Lady Titans!
On a day that featured alternating extremes, the one constant was an unrelenting blustery wind. With the weather shifting from bright sunshine to brooding clouds spitting a stinging drizzle and back again, the level of play likewise transformed from one half to the next. A starched American flag held steady in the western end of the stadium as the two teams got down to business. Whether due to a persistent hangover from the St. Pius loss, the uncomfortable conditions, or some other unknowable vagary, the Lady Titans appeared lethargic, unenthusiastic, and out of sync. With the whipping gale at their backs, the superior North Oconee team easily maintained the possession in Indian territory rarely letting the ball escape midfield. Despite this advantage, the North Girls could never effectively attack the goal, misfiring numerous times until the half ended with the score at 1-0 for NOHS. The lone mark a gifted own goal provided by an unfortunate Indian. When play began in the second half, it was as if Dr. Jekyll's team of the first half had been subbed out for Mr. Hyde's all-american squad. Balls began to pepper the back of the Stephen's county net with frequent regularity. Whiffs, flubs and errant shots were replaced by accurate crosses, exquisite headers, laser beams and finely placed lobs. Andie Tiemeyer garnered a hat trick including two acrobatic headers. Callee Maughan tallied 2 scores while Khloe Black and Hannah Weeks registered one mark each. Ms. Week's goal also came on a very nice forehead punch. This reporter failed to keep track of those responsible for all the assists but they deserve much credit as well. Final score North Oconee-8 and Stephens County-0. Let's all hope Mr. Hyde returns with his girls on Friday when the Lady Titans face off against their cross county rivals of Oconee County High. Go Titans!
All good things must come to an end and so it was with the Lady Titan's high scoring offense. Facing a powerful St. Pius squad Friday night, North Oconee quickly found themselves on the defensive. Unlike the last 2 matches in which the Titans encountered meager resisitance, the Lions brought strong offensive pressure early and often. While the back line stood strong and had standout performances by defenders Piper Cyterski and Ella Malone as well as goalie Taylor Frew, the St. Pius girls managed a score in each half. More than a few of the Lion's scoring advances were thwarted at the last moment by the tenacious Titan defense. Despite being back on their heels for much of the game, the Titan offense developed several scoring opportunities but were never able to convert.
With it's high octane offense still firing on all cylinders, North Oconee continued to pour in the goals against the Lady Warriors of Walnut Grove on Monday night (3/12). Callee Maughan started the scoring and later added a second goal while Andie Tiemeyer, Piper Cyterski, Natalie Frey, and Lilah Turk found the back of the net a single time each. Taylor Frew again kept the Titan Box spotless earning the shutout.
When it rains it pours. After struggling mightily to score on Monday night, Friday night brought an offensive eruption. North Oconee dominated the game throughout with the ball finding itself on the Red Raider half most of the match. Khloe Black got things started scoring on a header early in the tilt followed by Natalie Frey, Black again for her 2nd, and then Andie Tiemeyer for the 4th and final tally of the first half. The Lady Titans retired to the bench with a comfortable 4-0 half time advantage. As the 2nd half played out, it became clear that Callee Maughon took offense at being left out of the scoring parade as she methodically laid a hat trick on the defenseless Raiders. Hannah Weeks polished off the punishment with the 8th and final goal of the game. Taylor Frew kept the Titan net undisturbed preserving the shutout. It was a pleasure to see the Lady Titans demonstrate such a diverse offensive attack as well as a savage killer instinct as they pressed their advantage to the final seconds. Everyone on the bus and full throttle ahead! Go Titans!
