The Lady Devils soccer team hosted the Blue Ridge Bobcats on Monday night in a key conference matchup. It would be Youth Night where many soccer players from both Camp Living Water and Swain Youth Soccer Association were in attendance and played at halftime. Before the game, Senior Landon Matz was recognized for scoring 100 goals over his four years at Swain County High School. He would be the first player to ever do that on the boy’s side of soccer at Swain.
The matchup between the Bobcats and Lady Devils would be the second time the two teams have played this year with the Lady Devils taking the win in the first matchup. Fifteen minutes into the game Sophomore Karena Cline would find Senior Cora Watkins with a cross and Watkins would finish it with a goal. With 12 minutes left in the first half Cline would settle a ball from the Blue Ridge goalkeeper and chip a ball over the keeper’s head from 30 yards out for a goal. The first half would finish with the Lady Devils up 2-0.
Eight minutes into the second half Blue Ridge would score their first goal of the night. Just one minute later Cline would find Junior Anna Gray who would beat a few defenders and put the Lady Devils up 3-1. With 22 minutes left in the second half Senior Mahala Bird would find Sophomore Mya Burrows-Kurr who would fire the ball past the outstretched hands of the Blue Ridge goalkeeper securing the 4-1 win. “The last two games have been some of the best games we have played all season. We have played composed and as a team.” said Head Coach Scott Cline. “It has been great to see how well the ball has been moving all around the field.”
The Defense was led by Junior Anna Gray with 9 Clears/Steals. She was followed by Sophomore Rose Carson with 6, Sophomore Sophie Matz and Junior Emmie Fuller each with 5. In goal, Sophomore Gracie Sutton had five goalkeeper saves. The Player of the Game for the Lady Devils was Anna Gray. “Anna was put in some 1v1 pressure situations against one of the best players in our conference and she did an amazing job,” said Cline.
The Lady Devils remain in first place in the Smoky Mountain Conference with an 8-0 conference record and a 10-3-1 overall record. Their next matchup will have the Lady Devils traveling to Highlands on Thursday for a 6 pm matchup weather permitting. Highlands is one game behind the Lady Devils having lost only one conference game which was to Swain. After that, the Lady Devils will travel to Cherokee on Monday for a 4:30 matchup.