Tough losses to Cedar Ridge and Chapel Hill test team, build character

Devon Allen maneuvers around a Cedar Ridge striker

Tuesday, April 10th: Orange vs. Cedar Ridge, L: 2-3

There isn't a better way to learn the lesson of "playing until the last whistle blows" quite like the way that the Panthers' soccer team learned it last Tuesday night against Cedar Ridge.  Back from Spring Break, the team started off without their usual luster and quickly lost center midfielder Rachel Shinnick to an injury, but sophomore Tallie Phillips managed to score a goal off of an assist from her sister, senior Mia Phillips, before going into the second half.  Up 1-0 at halftime, the Panthers felt charged and ready to continue the attack.

Megan Joyner, Player of the Game vs. Cedar Ridge

However, a quick Cedar Ridge goal early in the second half tied up the game, and the Panthers struggled to regain their composure after that.  Megan Joyner really stepped up as center midfielder in the absence of her friend and teammate, Shinnick, and Joyner found herself tracking down Cedar Ridge players all over the field.  Her physical style of play and refusal to give up earned her the title of "Player of the Game," but not before she got a breakaway goal late in the second half to tie up the game, 2-2.

Megan Joyner shields the ball from a Red Wolf

Motivated by their second goal to tie it up, the Panthers attacked hard, pulling Devon Allen out of the defense, moving to a more attacking formation with her at forward, and running in a 3-5-2 for the last nine minutes of the game.  Both Cedar Ridge and Orange traded breakaways in the last ten minutes of the game, and with 14 seconds left in the game, Cedar Ridge pulled out a shot across the frame of the goal to go up 3-2.  Try as they might, 14 seconds wasn't quite enough for the Panthers, and despite outshooting Cedar Ridge 15-7, the Panthers took home the loss.

The team discusses the Cedar Ridge game

The Panthers went into practice the next day with three themes to focus on and discuss: 1) personal accountability, 2) structural changes & changes in formation and 3) staying hungry.  They watched film, looking specifically for instances of turnovers, not winning 50/50 balls, not shooting when they had the shot, and situations where they got beat by players on the other team.  Despite being hard to swallow, the team understood that they won't operate as a team until they have each conquered their personal weaknesses.  They then talked strategy and potential new formations before agreeing to take the Cedar Ridge game, learn from it, and never let it happen again.

Monday, April 16th: Orange vs. Chapel Hill, L: 0-4

The team came out Monday night without Tallie Phillips and Rachel Shinnick, who both had to sit with injuries.  They took the field against Chapel Hill in a 4-5-1, with Mia Phillips as the lone attacker.  The team had a difficult time of guarding against the sideline wall passes, and Chapel Hill scored three times in the first half, going into halftime up 3-0.

In the second half, the Panthers defense stepped up, notably with Tatiana Mangal (shown below) chasing after every ball and forcing Chapel Hill to continue to pass back away from the Orange goal.  Later in the second half, Mangal moved to a forward position with Brittany Smith as the team shifted to a 4-4-2.  Mangal's composed efforts and crisp touches at both forward and defense earned her the role of "Player of the Game" against Chapel Hill.  Great game, Tatiana!  

Tatiana Mangal, shown left, controls the ball

After a fourth Chapel Hill goal 15 minutes in to the second half, the Panthers denied any Tiger shots for the rest of the game.  The Panthers pulled off a few more goal-scoring opportunities, with Mia Phillips hitting the crossbar on one shot late in the second half.  The Panthers went home Monday night disappointed in the loss but not defeated, as senior Mia Phillips said, "I think we could do better, but I also think that we played well."