Wednesday night, May 5, the girls’ soccer team faced the Smith-Cotton High School tigers at Skyline Elementary in Sedalia, Mo. This match up was fierce as both teams are heading into the post-season. Varsity head coach Gary Drewing said he felt like his team was confident going into this competition and knew that this game was just as crucial as any other.
“Smith Cotton is a district opponent, and every district game has postseason implications,” Drewing said. “The postseason seeding is directly affected by the head to head results with district opponents. This adds importance to the game for both teams and makes every district game a tough one.”
When the game started rolling, RBHS took off with the lead in the first half as senior Laurie Frew, varsity forward, scored the first goal. In no time they were up in goals over the tigers, 2-0. However, this lead didn’t last long, because when the whistle blew ending the half, the teams were tied, 2-2. Defensive player, senior Carly Raetz said she agreed with her coach about the intensity of play that they were faced with tonight after encountering them on the field.
“I felt like they were good competition,” Raetz said. “We knew going into the game that it was just like district play.”
Going into the second half tied, the girls knew that they had to step it up in order to take home the win. They went out with authority, taking every advantage they could to secure the lead. Not only did they score one goal, but two in the second half. At the end of the game the scoreboard read, 4-2, as the bruins left the field and boarded the bus home, victorious. Though this isn’t the last game for these girls, they were able to continue perfecting their skills and team communication to continue preparing for future competition.
“We were able to work on our formation and moving of the ball. This came really helped us continue to work as a team. I feel we all had our moments during the game and we all made sure we left everything on the field.”
The girls have a day off from games, but will be right back at it on Wednesday, May 7, at 5:15 p.m., with their match up against Hickman, on their hometown rival’s turf. Drewing is proud of his team and hopes that the girls use these games to showcase the hard work that they have put in all year. As the end of their playing season approaches, they are focusing on making the most of what time is left together on the field.
“We have worked on playing soccer specific to the strengths of the players on our team. I hope that we will increase our competitive drive in the upcoming games. When we do that we will be a very dangerous team,” Drewing said. “We have faced some adversity and a tough schedule with a lot of games back to back. Despite frustrations and general fatigue, we have maintained a positive team demeanor. We will get some rest at the end of the season and we will be ready to put our best product on the field for the playoffs.”
By Brittany Cornelison
