Connersville

Wednesday night saw your CMS Lady Spartans head to Rushville to take on the Benjamin Rush Middle School Lady Cubs for the last game of the season. This was the second match between the teams; the first game saw Rushville come away with a 6-2 victory. After the first match, the team discussed and felt that it had not been a fair representation of the team they were. They believed that self-inflicted errors had led to more opportunities for Rushville. Leading up to yesterday's game, there were some minor tactical adjustments, but the primary points of emphasis were for the girls to be intentional with their decisions on the ball and to communicate effectively with each other on the field. As the game began, your Spartans started strong, with several attacking runs into the opponent's defensive third. The combination passing between the forwards and midfield was, without a doubt, the best they had been all season. Seventeen minutes into the half, Mia Hartzell scored the game's first goal, assisted by Blakelynn Branstetter. This was Mia's first goal of her middle school career, and it was incredibly well deserved. Five minutes after the Spartans scored, the Lady Cubs took advantage of a defensive lapse and tied the game 1-1. As the half wore on, it looked as if the half would end even, until Blakelynn Branstetter scored, giving the Spartans a 2-1 lead at halftime. The team talk at halftime focused on how we could execute better, taking advantage of our excellent passes between the attacking players, and winning 50/50 balls. The expectation was that Rushville would come out of the gates strong and looking to score early. Nine minutes into the second half, Rushville scored on a wonderful goal to equalize the game. Eight minutes later, Rushville scored again. This was a tight onside/offside call, but the goal was ultimately awarded to the Lady Cubs, giving them a 3-2 lead. Twelve minutes later, in the 58th minute, Rushville scored their fourth goal of the match. Not daunted, the Lady Spartans continued to attack and pressure the Rushville back line, and one minute later, Abbie Lindsey scored her first goal and the Spartans' third of the game. With two minutes left in the game, Blakelynn Branstetter almost drilled a 30-yard free kick into the back of the net to tie us up. Ultimately, the ball went just wide, and the game ended 4-3 Rushville. The coaches agree that this was the single best game the girls have had this season, in terms of forward passing, communication, and sustained effort throughout the game. The girls have made significant progress over the course of the year, and this young team appears to be hitting its highs at just the right time. Notable performances include: Leah Birgel at right forward with an assist to Blakelynn Branstetter, Mia Hartzell with one goal, Abbie Lindsey with one goal, Blakelynn Branstetter with one goal and two assists, Lois Riebsomer who had a terrific game at left center mid/holding mid, Maddie Welter with a strong showing at center-back, and Laney Holmes with a solid performance as left center-back and right defender. A special mention goes to 7th-grade goalkeeper Zoey Klein, who made 19 saves in goal last night, as well as some great drop kicks that sprung our attack. The "Larry Shaker Shot Maker" award was presented to Blakelynn Branstetter and Zoey Klein.