Lady Bulldogs win 3 of 4 in host role among state field
KNOXVILLE — Bearden High School girls soccer head coach Ryan Radcliffe saw his team do exactly what he wanted last weekend. The Lady Bulldogs played four games in three days and won three of those contests.
“This was a good learning experience for us,” Radcliffe said after Bearden notched a 4-2 comeback victory over Hendersonville Saturday night, Sept. 1, during annual Bearden Invitational at Turner-Allender Field. “We played four tough games against four tough teams and I was really happy with the way the girls bounced back after we lost to Houston (Friday night, Aug. 31).
“I’m really happy that we came out of this with no injuries,” he added. “If you go to state, this is the kind of schedule that you’re going to have to play. You play three games in three days against three really tough teams.”
In their invitational finale against the Lady Commandos, the Lady Bulldogs (7-1) got two goals from senior Emily Carlevato. Abby Brewer and Carley Scott also had markers for Bearden, which will play in the Rivals Tournament in Memphis this weekend.
“We have another big week coming up,” Radcliffe said.
Earlier Saturday, the Lady Bulldogs notched a 1-0 victory over Bartlett in a match played in oppressive heat. Anna Beichler scored the lone goal.
The Lady Bulldogs suffered their first loss of the 2018 campaign Friday night when they dropped a 4-0 match to Houston. The Lady Mustangs, who hail from Germantown, are the Volunteer State’s top-ranked team.
Bearden opened tournament play with a 5-1 victory over Giles County Thursday, Aug. 30. In that game, it was weather that stopped the Lady Bulldogs, not the Lady Bobcats. The match was called just after halftime due to lightning.
Bearden started fast and took a 1-0 lead in when Alex Smith scored in the second minute. Brewer was credited with an assist on the game’s first tally. The duo connected again when Brewer fed Smith with a pass and Smith promptly banged it into the back of the Giles County net in the 11th minute.
Brewer scored the next two goals with Carlevato and Alayna Corbitt picking up assists on her back-to-back markers, which gave the Lady Bulldogs a 4-0 advantage in the 33rd minute.
Sarah Dunn had Bearden’s final goal of the match late in the opening half.
The Lady Bobcats got their lone goal when Tori Drocea tallied in the 39th minute.
Radcliffe was pleased to get a win. The coach, however, would’ve liked to have finished the game.
“A win’s a win and I’ll take it, I guess,” he said. “It’s frustrating because you would’ve liked to have the second half to work on some things that we needed to work on. We came out and we played really well.
