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Nothing Settled in Hornets' Defensive Struggle at Skyline
Saline’s varsity soccer team remained unbeaten when it left Skyline Monday night.
But they didn’t get the win they were working for either.
The Hornets settled for a 0-0 tie in a battle of unbeaten SEC Red teams. Saline is 6-0-5 with a 4-0-2 record in the SEC. Skyline is 7-1-3 with a 4-0-1 record in the SEC.
Goalies Liam Foster, who played the first half, and Chris Graber, who played the second half, made several big saves to preserve the tie. Graber made several difficult stops in the game’s final five minutes, as Skyline poured on the pressure.
“(Our goalies) played very well. They’ve been solid for us all season,” said Dana Restrick, head coach of the Hornets.
The Hornets opened the game on the attack, putting the Eagles on their heels for the game’s opening two minutes. Skyline gradually took over the game territorially and controlled play for most of the first half. Restrick said her team didn’t aggressively go after the ball and attack the net in the first half, so she made adjustments at halftime, putting a third attacker on the front.
“The second half we looked more to the attack. We didn’t come here to tie the game,” Restrick said.
Saline controlled play for the first 25 minutes but didn’t get many dangerous scoring opportunities. Artur Engler Pinto had Saline’s best shot midway through the second half and was denied on a mini-breakaway.
The game’s final 10 minutes, however, belonged to Skyline. With about five minutes, the Eagles created a flurry of activity in front of the Saline goal and Graber made a great save to keep Skyline off the scoreboard.
“We certainly gave up a lot defensively. We knew that would happen to try to get something going offensively,” Restrick said.
The junior varsity game mirrored the varsity match, as Saline and Skyline ended in a scoreless tie. Their record now stands at 7-1-3
Saline visits Dexter Thursday.
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