Lady Cyclones tame Cougars

By Ivan Sanders
STAR CORRESPONDENT
isanders@starhq.com

   After suffering a disheartening loss to open the 2002 soccer campaign to University High, the Elizabethton Lady Cyclones needed a shot in the arm if they were to get back on track in way of the success they experienced last season.
   Using sheer domination on Thursday night at Holston Middle School, the Lady Cyclones appeared to get a full booster as they handedly defeated the Central Lady Cougars by recording a 4-0 shutout.
   "We needed to rediscover ourselves and prove to ourselves that to win you have to have the right attitude like we did last season," said coach Bill McClay. "We still have a way to go, but we definitely took quality shots today and we also used our headshots a lot better."
   Katie Presnell set the pace at the 22:00 minute mark of the first half as she took a nice pass from Ashley Green to drill a 10 yard kick from the right side of the goal to stake Elizabethton to a 1-0 advantage.
   The defense stepped up and made sure the ball stayed on the Cyclone side of midfield for a huge chunk of the first half. Sophomore Samantha McClay drew a penalty kick at the 35:00 minute mark on a slashing move to the goal between two defenders.
   McClay lofted the ball just underneath the goal crossbar to edge the lead out to 2-0. Meanwhile, sophomore goalkeeper Maria Francisco was doing a bang-up job keeping Central at bay in holding the Lady Cougars scoreless in the first 40:00 minutes of play.
   McClay picked up her second goal of the contest at the 54:00 minute of the contest, using her left foot to send the ball into the net from 18 yards out on the right side of the goal, pushing the lead to 3-0 in favor of the Lady Cyclones.
   Senior Tracy Smith slammed the door on the Lady Cougars with the final score coming at the 70:00 mark of the game. Smith drove the ball from midfield to the right corner where she sent the ball over the head of goalie Candice Dotson with a perfectly placed corner shot.
   "I just went with all my might with my first thought being to take the shot on goal," said a happy Smith after the contest. "We had an intense practice yesterday, and we came out here and played well as a team with great communication."
   The Cyclones recorded an unbelievable 30 shots at Dotson on the day with the Lady Cyclones combination of Francisco and Allison Cook putting the chill on the seven shots Central managed to take on goal.
   "We are a young, rebuilding team," said Lady Cougar head coach Sharon Abee. "We were quicker to the ball tonight and more aggressive, but we are definitely in need of a shooter because we didn't get enough shots on goal."
   Said Coach McClay: " Central definitely played a lot more aggressive than I have seen them play today. We were able to get some great momentum,though, when the young girls I put in started to crash the goal. It got our team fired up."
   The win evens the Lady Cyclones season and conference mark to 1-1 while the Lady Cougars saw their record drop to 0-2. ELizabethton will be back in action next Tuesday as they host Chuckey-Doak at 7 p.m..