Losses come against two of county's toughest teams
SEPT 9, BLAZER STADIUM-
Disappointed by Friday's 2-0 loss to Wootton, the Blair girls' soccer team came into today's game looking a bit sluggish. Lack of communication on offense and a consistent inability to win balls in the middle of the field led to Blair's 2-1 loss to the Whitman Vikings this evening.
The Blazer defense held up extremely well, but the team's inability to stay on the offensive for any significant amount of time put too much pressure on the backs, giving Whitman many more shots on goal than Blair. Senior goalie and co-captain Erika Pelz-Butler also had some excellent saves, but two beautiful strikes by the Vikings managed to find their way into the net. "I don't know if a professional goalie could have stopped [those shots]," said Coach Robert Gibb said after the game.
Often the team appeared disorganized, kicking the ball to empty space and not communicating well on the Blazers' few breaks. Also, Blair was unsure with the ball. The Vikings frequently took advantage of this indecisiveness, stripping the Blazers in one-on-one confrontations instead of having to chase down passes.
Despite the grim results of the first two games, there is hope for this year. "We just haven't gelled on offense yet," said Gibb. "Once we hit a stride we're going to be okay." The team showed moments of great potential in its few breaks but was unable to finish due to a general lack of aggression on Whitman's half of the field.
It should be noted that the Blazers' first two opponents are among Montgomery County's best this year. Whitman beat perennial powerhouse Bethesda-Chevy Chase on Friday and Wootton is also very strong.
Whitman's goals came with 9:26 left in the first half and then nine minutes into the second half. Blair's lone goal came on a direct free kick with 9:20 to go in the game, when sophomore standout Sophie Esparza blasted a shot through the Viking keeper's hands.
On a positive note, the Blazer girls' JV beat Whitman's JV 1-0 earlier today. The varsity's next game is against Richard Montgomery at home Sept 16 at 7:00.
Luke Bostian. Luke Bostian is a senior in CAP and has nothing much to say for himself. Well, actually, that's a lie. Luke has a lot to say for himself and says it all the time. So he won't bore you with it. Suffice it to say … More »
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