By Darren Lum

Published May 11 2017

Oh what could have been.

The Red Hawks senior girls’ soccer team easily out-chanced the Spartans of Lindsay Collegiate Vocational Institute but just couldn’t capitalize on its scoring chances to win its first Kawartha high school league game in front a small home crowd on Monday May 8 at the Gary G. Brohman Athletic Field in Haliburton.

Despite winter-like weather (yes it snowed) where the temperature was closer to zero than to anything appropriate for shorts the Hawks were on the attack for much of the game pushing the pace and driving deep into the Spartans end.

Head coach Amy Klose believes her team’s effort and execution in play from the net out to its forwards was worthy of a victory.

“We controlled the ball. We controlled the game and a bad bounce at the end so it should have gone for us” she said.

Klose said the team was effective in its transition game to move the ball up to their forwards during most of the game.

Midfielders such as Hawks Rebecca Hamilton who used her speed and ball-handling abilities were a force down the right wing moving through and around multiple defenders while teammate Jamie Little provided similar skill and execution in drawing defenders and feeding strikers such as Evelyn Woof who came close to giving the die-hard fans and her teammates something to cheer about.

Hawks player Abby Gordon continues to deal with an injury but was in the lineup and brought her competitive fire pouncing on loose balls and then moving the back to her forward teammates.

The close loss did not diminish the team’s spirits.

They will use positive aspects from the loss to build on and will continue to improve and refine its execution of moving the ball from the defence to the attack. Most of the shots were target  at the keeper she said so the players will work on aiming for the corners.

Klose has been impressed by her defence believing in them.

At the back the team’s defence of Emily Glecoff Vivian Collings Kailynn Sikma and Emily Klose played well. Klose has been the backbone of the defence. The defensive unit have worked well supporting one another to cover for any breakdowns and have been imposing to attacking strikers.

With only one goal given up by the Hawks the defence played so well rookie keeper Ali Paul who was afflicted with the flu faced at least half the shots when compared to the team’s home and season opener. She continues to be composed in net growing with the position by leaps and bounds.

Her lone goal allowed came from a soft shot from outside the box that was lofted over her outstretched hands leaving little chance for a save.

The team is still looking for that next step in its evolution the coach said.

“It’s just that last piece … the scoring” she said.