CHATTANOOGA – On Tuesday in the quarterfinals of the Class AA Soccer State Tournament Greeneville was the stronger team for the majority of the 80-minute contest, but a few missed opportunities and a few missed assignments let South Gibson escape with a 2-1 win.
“I’m pleased with where this team took us this season, but to be honest I’m disappointed with the effort today,” Greeneville coach Jerry Graham said. “We felt like we were the better team, we outshot them two to one, but the only thing that matters is the final score. We had two lapses where we didn’t work as hard as we needed to. The margin for error is really slim in the state tournament, and we made mistakes in crucial moments. They cost us.”
Greeneville doubled up the Lady Hornets it shot attempts and controlled possession for much of the day, but a pair of momentary lapses on the defensive end proved to be their undoing.
“We talked about how important it is to play for all 80 minutes. We got that out of a lot of girls, but we fell short in a couple of places. When we had trouble today it was because we weren’t showing for our defense,” Graham said. “When we worked together and we brought the ball down the field as a unit that is when we at our best. We were at our worst when we asked one group to do all the work on one end of the field.”
The two teams went to halftime deadlocked at 0-0 but Greeneville scored first on Tuesday.
First Peyton Vaught was shoved to the ground inside the box by Kayla Hatch while setting up for a shot, and South Gibson was able to watch the ball roll innocently out of bounds for a goal kick.
Vivian Kammerdiener was quick to jump on that short goal kick and stole possession. Working against a reeling backline Kammerdiener charged at the goal and pulled up from 15 yards where she pounded a shot inside the right post in the 47th minute.
The 1-0 lead lasted just seconds as on the restart South Gibson’s Rylee Hood worked into the box before pulling up for a straight-away shot that slipped under the cross bar to even the score once again.
“Vivian gave us a great shot, but then we conceded one right after. That is one of those times you are most vulnerable. It’s a huge swing of momentum,” Graham said.
Greeneville kept applying pressure and took the attack to South Gibson over the next 15 minutes.
In the 55th minute Kammerdiener sent a long lead pass ahead to Kinsley Spradlen who got behind the backline. Her one-on-one shot from the right wing narrowly missed to the wrong side of the near post.
The Lady Greene Devils got a series of three free kicks in inside 30 yards in a four-minute span, but none resulted in a shot on goal. Elaina Philbeck took another free kick in the 72nd minute, this time forcing Heather Hansen to make a save, but the score stayed tied at 1-1.
“We have to make runs off the ball, they have to be creative based on what the defense give you and find the open space. This game is about finding space and defending space, and we needed to be better.” Graham said.
Greeneville had another good chance in the 76th minute when Angelyn Diaz darted into the box ahead of the defense, but she was sent to the ground from behind with no whistle.
One minute later South Gibson’s Hood made another good run to the top of the box before catching the defense mispositioned on a pass to Jaci Walters on the left side. Walters quickly hammered in the open shot to give the Lady Hornets the lead they held to the finish.
With 12 of the 14 players who took the field on Tuesday returning Graham hopes his squad learns from the stinging defeat.
“Part of what they have to learn is that you have to stay focused and hungry for 80 minutes. It can’t be 78 or 79 minutes. You can’t lower your head for a minute, or a goal goes in the back of the net,” Graham said.
The first half was almost completely controlled by the Lady Greene Devils, but it took time to find the right combinations to create shots.
Diaz, Kammerdiener, Vaught, Spradlen and Elsie Rogers all had chance to score but never found the perfect final touch.
In the 22nd minute Rogers found an open look from the left side of the box, but Hansen saved it. In the 23rd minute a good-looking low cross from Spradlen was turned away just before Kammerdiener could knock it home, and in the 27th minute Kammerdiener’s shot from six yards was knocked away by Anna Fawcet.
The Lady Hornets’ back line was beaten in the 30th minute but just as Tatum Hill was attempting a shot Fawcet wrapped up her shooting leg from behind while never touching the ball. No foul was called and no goal was scored.
South Gibson only got off one shot against Greeneville’s defense in the first half, but Carly Coble’s attempt in the 36th minute sailed wide of the post.
For seniors Diaz and Kammerdiener Tuesday brought an end to a pair of impressive careers as a Lady Greene Devils. While their talent has been made evident over the last four years what Graham is most proud of is how they led the team this year.
“Those two girls are always so calm and poised,” Graham said. “How they lead and direct our younger players is irreplaceable. I know they are dead tire right now because they gave us everything they had. They are going to be tremendous losses. They are really big parts of what we do out here on a daily basis.”
