MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Faulkner held a clean sheet while controlling the match in a 3-0 win over Point Tuesday night in a season opening win at Billy D. Hilyer Stadium
After a frantic first 30 minutes that deserved a goal on the nine combined shots, the breakthrough started with two of the captains:
Corinne Weissinger and
Ainsley Lockwood. In the 34th minute, Weissinger, the left back, dribbled to the center of the field where she delivered a through ball to Lockwood, the right winger. Lockwood kept the ball in play before dribbling to the end line and creating space with an inside cut before delivering a back post cross to
Laia Gonzalez who stretched out and connected with the service, getting enough on it to power past the parry of the goalkeeper.
For the game winning goal scorer, the goal and assist in her Faulkner debut was a product of the hard work put in by the team in training camp. "It feels good. We've been practicing for two hard weeks in preseason and it is like a gift for the hard work that we have been putting in."
Just five minutes later, the other captain joined the goal scoring action as
Annabel Cuthbert got to the end of a
Laia Gonzalez pass atop the penalty area off a free kick in the Faulkner defensive half from her twin
Marta Gonzalez. Cuthbert chipped it high and to the back post to double the advantage.
In the 76th minute,
Alessia Confalonieri stood over a free kick drawn by
Laia Gonzalez about 40 yards from goal and off to the left side. The Italian, who also scored a long range effort last season against Point, dared it again–shooting high on frame where the keeper spilled it into the net for the final score of the night. Both of her goals in Faulkner blue so far have come from distance against the Skyhawks.
Defensively, the Lady Eagles limited opportunities and kept the keepers relaxed in net and not forcing them into any challenging saves.
Reagan Embry started and collected one save while
Faith Rush took over the second half and saved the only two chances she faced in the combined shutout effort.
Marta Gonzalez was the only Lady Eagle to play all 90 minutes in the clean sheet as the team allowed just seven shots total.
Head coach
Pritchard Ndaira was proud of his team's defensive efforts in the season opening win. "It's always great to have a clean sheet; for the goalkeeper, the back line, the whole team. I'm just proud of the whole team having the first game as the first clean sheet which is great. My hats off to the center backs [
Marta Gonzalez,
Dominique Rivera and
Leah Villafuerte] for a great job. It was just a great team effort." He was also pleased with the attack. "I think we were just going forward well. I would have liked to score a few more goals as we created a lot of opportunities but we controlled the game. I think we held good possession and looked dangerous when we were on the ball."
The Lady Eagles welcome the Lady Lions of Freed-Hardeman Saturday at 2 p.m. for the first meeting between the teams at Faulkner since 2013.
