Connersville

This Tuesday, the CMS Lady Spartans took to the road to battle our SR 44 rivals, the Lady Cubs of Rushville. The Lady Spartans' spirits were high, even on a 4-game losing streak, as they took positive steps in each of the last two games. The Spartans got off to a fast start with a Charli Corbitt (7th) goal in the 2nd minute of the game. From there, the girls generated chance after chance, moving the ball into good attacking positions and showing decent passing and tremendous effort. Unfortunately, the Spartans couldn't convert these chances into goals. In the latter part of the 1st half, in what the coaches saw as a perfectly timed challenge, Rushville was awarded a PK. While the tackle was textbook and fair, the referee had a less-than-ideal angle on the play, and sometimes that is just how the game unfolds. Rushville converted the PK chance, leveling the game at 1-1. CMS goalkeeper Zoey Klein (8th) made a great read on the attempt, diving the correct way and narrowly missing the chance. A few minutes later, Rushville scored what would be their only goal from the run of play, and the half ended 2-1 Rushville. The 2nd half started similarly to the 1st, with waves of Lady Spartans attacks, shots, and, unfortunately, missed chances. Then, in the 39th minute, Lillian Whited (7th) leveled the game at 2-2 with the first goal of her middle school career! Two minutes later, another PK was awarded to Rushville. This PK, again in the coaches' opinion, was awarded mostly because the referees had an obstructed view during a tough but fair battle for the ball. Again, GK Klein read the right way on the PK attempt, but Rushville converted the chance, putting Rushville up 3-2. The game continued and opened up a bit, with the Spartans and Rushville trading chances back and forth, with your Spartans generating slightly more. Then, in the 57th minute, Charli Corbitt scored her second goal of the night and brought the girls level at 3-3. With time winding down, the Lady Cubs made one last strong attacking run, resulting in a shot and a deflected save that sent it wide of the goal. With two attacking players barreling towards the ball, Jillian Risselman (7th) moved the ball away from goal and won a goal kick! This goal kick essentially ended the game, and the match ended in a 3-3 draw. The coaches were very pleased with the energy, effort, and attitude the girls displayed throughout the game. It would be easy to get down or overly worked up after PK’s are awarded, or a goal is scored. However, these girls never stopped believing they were up to the task and could win. Keep the belief, ladies! Notable performances include: GK Zoey Klein (8th), Bobbi Welter (6th), Maizey Leach (6th), Kam Harmeyer (7th), Laney Holmes (8th), Emma Haffner (6th), Lillian Whited (7th), and Addi Lovins (6th). The “Larry Shaker Shot Maker” award winner was Charli Corbitt, scoring a brace on the night! Women of the Match were Laney Richards (7th) and Jillian Risselman (7th)!