Highlanders tame Bulldogs

The wins keep flowing in for the Highlands School varsity girl’s soccer team, after a tie against Brevard, 3-3, last Friday and a solid performance against Murphy High School on Monday night, 5-2.

“We have to get back to the basics and play like we know how to play,” Head coach Caleb Brown said. “The girls are really capable of playing two touch soccer, following a strategy, playing those short passes and they are really comfortable with playing those passes around in the box. We just didn’t see too much of that today. We tried to play the long ball over and over again and it doesn’t always work well.”

Things got started quick for the Lady Highlanders after Addie Westendorf was fouled on the right side of the 18-yard box, setting up a set piece for Julia Schmitt. Schmitt connected well, sending a rocket past the Murphy keeper to go up 1-0.

Right after the goal, Aislynn Luck had a solid shot inside the 18 that was tipped by the Murphy keeper for a corner.

Gabriela Diaz dribbled in after the corner but got tripped up by the Murphy keeper. Diaz kept at it, dribbling through the Lady Bulldog defense, but missed a shot wide.

With 23:36 left in the half, Hayley Borino sent a corner in, and Diaz was on the end of it, bodying the ball in the goal to go up 2-0.

A couple of minutes after the Lady Highlander goal, the Lady Bulldogs got a break after the ball bounced around the Highlands penalty box and found its way to the back of the net, cutting the Lady Highlander lead 2-1.

With 12:28 left in the half, Hayley Borino had another one-on-one opportunity with the Murphy keeper, but slid it wide left. Gabriela Diaz followed up with a shot but could not finish.

Julia Schmitt kept things going for the Lady Highlanders with a shot going wide left, but Addie Westendorf was there on the rebound, sending it back across the face of the goal, past the Murphy keeper to go up 3-1.

At the end of the half, Hayley Borino cut up the Murphy defense, setting up a one-on-one situation with the keeper again, this time slipping it past her into the back of the net to finish the first half up 4-1.

The second half opened with a set piece from Hayley Borino after Aislynn Luck was fouled. The shot was blocked, setting up another shot for Julia Schmitt, who sent it over the goal.

With 18:05 left in the game, Murphy had a second wind, dribbling outside the Highlander 18-yard box and getting fouled. The set piece was well struck, went over the wall and into the back of the net to cut the Lady Highlander lead 4-2.

Lady Highlander keeper Ava Schmitt came up big with a save with 12:17 left to play in the game, setting up a corner for Murphy. Schmitt then caught the cross, keeping the game at 4-2.

With 8:45 left in the game, Borino had a set piece outside the 18, but sent it over the goal.

Gabriela Diaz kept going strong with 4:45 left in the game, dribbling through the Lady Bulldog defense and sending it past the keeper to end the scoring effort at 5-2.

“This win means a lot to the girls,” Brown said. “They are highly motivated, and they are having a great season. They are playing really well. Their biggest competition is Swain. I wish we got to play more teams like Brevard, because Brevard was a pretty good team. That was a game where we were winning, then tied it at the end of the game. We have to work on following through and conditioning, but midway through the season, they are doing really well.”

With the win, the Lady Highlanders improve to 6-2-1 on the season and 3-1 in the conference. Their next scheduled match is Friday at home against Franklin High School (3-7.)

- By Christopher Lugo