×
×
homepage logo
SUBSCRIBE

Through first-game jitters, Roy tops Ben Lomond 2-1 to open girls soccer season

By Bob Judson - Special to the Standard-Examiner | Aug 2, 2022
1 / 10
Roy's Macy Reed (36) and Ben Lomond's MacKyah Tuck (2) fight for possession in a season-opening girls soccer match Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022, in Roy.
2 / 10
Roy's Jaelyn Barba (39) and Ben Lomond's Maleah Richey (19) vie for possession in a season-opening girls soccer match Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022, in Roy. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
3 / 10
Ben Lomond keeper Dory Jenson corrals the ball in a season-opening girls soccer match against Roy on Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022, in Roy. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
4 / 10
Ben Lomond's Adilen Gil (9) moves the ball up the field in a season-opening girls soccer match against Roy on Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022, in Roy. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
5 / 10
Roy's Hannah Fugate gains possession in a season-opening girls soccer match against Ben Lomond on Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022, in Roy. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
6 / 10
Ben Lomond's MacKyah Tuck (2) moves the ball as Roy's Macy Reed (36) and Jaelyn Barba, right, pressure her in a season-opening girls soccer match Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022, in Roy. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
7 / 10
Ben Lomond player Ariana Liptrap handles the ball in a season-opening girls soccer match against Roy on Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022, in Roy. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
8 / 10
Roy's Mikynlee Cragun (24) pursues the ball in a season-opening girls soccer match against Ben Lomond on Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022, in Roy. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
9 / 10
Ben Lomond players celebrate a goal scored against Roy in a season-opening girls soccer match Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022, in Roy. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
10 / 10
Ben Lomond's Marisol Pezabeldano approaches as Roy's Macy Reed (36) handles the ball in a season-opening girls soccer match Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2022, in Roy. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)

ROY — On a warm August afternoon, in which a brilliant sun pulsed down to an artificial turf soccer field, Roy was relentless in its attack on Ben Lomond goalkeeper Dory Jenson.

For nearly an hour, Jenson turned away the onslaught before finally yielding Roy’s initial goal in the 58th minute.

The Royals added a second score moments later and captured a 2-1 non-region victory over Ben Lomond in the season opener for both girls soccer teams Tuesday.

Senior Jaelyn Barba netted the game-winner less than two minutes after junior Macy Reed finally broke through to tie the game at 1-1 midway through the second half.

“The keeper kicked it out and then one of their players dropped it back because they had a bad touch,” Barba said. “I took it and dribbled past one of their defenders and shot it and the keeper grazed the ball — she could have saved it, but it did go in.”

Roy sports a veteran squad, honed by winning the Region 2 title last season, and kept pounding away before Reed finally found the back of the net to get back to even after junior Shakira Nolasco had put the Scots up 1-0 just five minutes into the game.

“We realized, especially coming from last year as region champs, that we could do better; at halftime we had a talk and kind of pulled ourselves together and worked as a team to win,” Barba said.

Nolasco’s tally was the only shot on goal Ben Lomond had the entire first half, and if you count a weak roller late in the second half, that was one of only two shots the Scots nudged near the net the whole game.

“We were kind of gassed out, the heat, but they really brought a lot of offensive pressure,” Ben Lomond coach Sarah Espinoza said. “They also played a different formation, and it took us a little bit to kind of figure that out.

“It was nice getting that early goal, but they kept pressuring and pressuring and pressuring us and we didn’t have enough gas to get back on offense,” Espinoza continued. “We needed to have a better transition from defense to offense; we can’t play defense the whole game.”

Between the heat, maybe some conditioning issues, and first-game jitters, the Royals couldn’t score, so it was a stout defensive effort that led the home team to victory.

“I think that first-half goal by Ben Lomond was a great finish, but I think we made a lot of mistakes leading up to that; we need to clean up in the future,” Roy coach Alyssa Foutz said. “I’m really happy with our team defense. We worked on high pressure and moving the ball away from the net right away. Much happier with how we did that in the second half.”

Senior Lylian Rosenberg tended the net in the first half for the Royals and junior Paige Boatright took over in the second half, in a predetermined switch at the break.

Newsletter

Join thousands already receiving our daily newsletter.

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)