Knocking off LC, Powell, Lady Admirals start 2-0
“We hung on but it was a little sloppy,” FHS first-year head coach Kristen Lyons said after her team captured a 3-2 victory over the Lady Panthers Thursday, Aug. 20, in Farragut Soccer Stadium. “We’re trying to work on a style of play and we’re like everybody else, I guess, because we didn’t have any scrimmage time.
“We want to get back on the counter-attack extremely quickly, and we haven’t hit our game shape yet. Our conditioning is really important.”
Farragut, which beat Lenoir City 4-1 at home to open the 2020 season Tuesday, Aug. 18, darted out to a quick start against Powell by tallying two markers in less than one minute.
The Lady Ads took a 1-0 lead when junior forward Lexi Foley tallied in the seventh minute of the match. Farragut then extended its advantage to 2-0 on a goal by freshman midfielder Lauren Leslie.
The Lady Admirals’ defense was particularly stingy early, as FHS junior goalkeeper Caroline Ekern faced just one shot on frame and made the save.
Farragut went up 3-0 on Foley’s second marker of the match, which came just after halftime in the 43rd minute.
“We came out aggressive and we wanted to score early,” she said. “We felt like we had to score early because we knew that they were a good team.”
“The more that we get to come out here, the more grateful we are to have a season. I’m just so happy to be able to get a chance to play.”
The Lady Panthers showed just how good they could be later in the game. Powell pulled to within 3-1 when Jordan Blair scored in the 63rd minute. The Lady Panthers pulled even closer on a goal by Autumn Daniels in the waning moments of the contest.
Powell (0-2) is one of East Tennessee’s top teams as it would prove last season by beating the Lady Admirals and later reaching the sectional round of the Class AAA state playoffs. But the Lady Panthers opened the 2020 campaign with two rough road tilts against Bearden (a 2-0 loss) and Farragut.
Powell coach Victoria Weinhandl is hoping that her team will take some valuable lessons away from those two early losses.
“Our kids didn’t quit and I think they came out a little better in the second half,” Weinhandl said. “I think we were a little flat in the first half and we didn’t have much movement on the ball.
“So we’ll have to take our lumps and learn from them.”
