SELMA — Sometimes a team is just overmatched.
Even when that’s the case, there are still opportunities to learn and improve.
The Raiders learned they have plenty of grit.
Wapahani High School’s girls soccer team lost 8-0 Tuesday to the visiting Jay County Patriots, but was able to slow down the visitors after an early blitz and avoid ending early via the mercy rule.
“I’m very satisfied with the heart and the effort that was put in behind it, especially that first half being 7-0 and then to finish that second half without hitting the mercy rule,” said Wapahani coach Tanner Elrod. “I’m definitely beyond satisfied with the heart and the effort hat they put into it, the way they built each other up tonight.”
The first minute was a mess for the Raiders (2-6), who fell behind 1-0 in just 19 seconds. Off the opening kickoff, Jay County’s Charlee Peters got control of the ball and sent a drop to Aixa Lopez. The senior midfielder worked down the center of the field before sending a through ball back to Peters, who beat Wapahani goalie Zoey Koger one-on-one.
The Patriots (5-2) were on the board again just 18 seconds later after Lopez took a pass from London Lloyd and went right up the middle for a 2-0 lead with the clock showing 39:23. It was the first of her three goals on the evening as she recorded her second hat trick of the season.
“One of the things I said to the girls was we need to show dominance as a team,” said Muhlenkamp. “We wanted to show from the get-go that we are the better team. Scored two goals in the first 40 seconds. That was great to see them connect.”
While JCHS added five more goals before halftime, the scoring pace slowed down significantly as Elrod made a defensive adjustment to shift Addison Denney to sweeper with Jefnie Pierre, Bella Richardson, Allie Nunley and Kirra Coby working in front of her.
It took 13 minutes before the Patriots got their third goal on another tally from Lopez.
“I come in with a game plan, willing to adjust it as needed,” said Elrod. “I try to have two or three things in my back pocket. I just saw they were quick, they had good touches on the ball. Once they got that second one and it was directly just through (the middle), I just knew I had to at least change up the defense …”
Wapahani trailed 7-0 at the intermission but was able to avoid having the game end early. (The mercy rule in soccer brings a game to an end if a team is trailing by nine or more after 60 minutes.) The only Patriot score of the second half came on a high arcing 25-yard shot from freshman Maria Laux that looped over Koger (28 saves), under the crossbar and into the back of the net.