Varsity girls soccer defeated Westminster 3-0 to move into the AAAA quarterfinals.
Junior captain Kendra Ivaska scored two goals in the first half. Sophomore Avany Yeager scored one goal in the second half. Senior Emerson Bredahl successfully stopped eight shots to shut out Westminster.
“It was a great win for us,” head coach John Bowen said. “They are a high quality team with a lot of experience and talent, so to be able to get a win and advance was a fantastic accomplishment.”
The last time the girls played Westminster they lost 6-0. This is the first time the varsity girls soccer team has beaten Westminster since 2014.
In the first half, the girls were sitting and waiting for Westminster to attack them. The Panthers made it too easy for Westminster to get into their defending third. Westminster tallied four corners, while the Panthers only had two.
“[We handled their aggressiveness by] just making sure we played smart, and kept a positive attitude even when it started to get challenging,” sophomore Avany Yeager said.
The aggressiveness was shown through a total of 27 fouls throughout the game, 14 fouls on Westminster and 13 on Starr’s Mill.
Although Westminster was aggressive, the Panthers stayed calm and improved through the second half. They did a better job of pushing up on offense and dropping back as a team on defense. This created more chances for the girls to regain possession of the ball and protect their two-goal lead at halftime.
Starr’s Mill scored three times on six shots while holding Westminster scoreless on eight shots.
“[Going into the game against Marist] I would say they are more competitive than Westminster,” Bowen said. “They are going to be a very strong opponent but it is what you expect at this time in the playoffs.”
The girls made it to the Elite 8 last year as well. The Panthers were eliminated by North Oconee, 2-1. North Oconee earned the title of state runner-up that year.
The Lady Panthers are 14-6 overall and 9-0 in region play. They have won eight of their last nine matchups.