GATLINBURG – The Chuckey-Doak soccer team went to Gatlinburg over the weekend to challenge itself in the Smoky Mountain Cup.
On Saturday afternoon the Lady Black Knights took on Concord Christian School of Knoxville and could not get their offense going in a 3-1 loss.
“I think fatigue got us a little bit today after playing last night,” Chuckey-Doak coach Anna Ricker said. “I feel like we did play better in the second half, and we are usually a second half team. We just didn’t win the ball in the middle and control the middle of the field enough today.”
Chuckey-Doak plays in the Smoky Cup annually to test itself against quality opponents early in the year, and this year went 1-2 in the event held in Gatlinburg. On Friday night Chuckey-Doak beat Division II school Boyd Buchanan 2-0 and Saturday night it fell to Class AAA Lenoir City 2-0.
“You’re playing up to make yourself better, and I think we always get better from this tournament,” Ricker said. “We’re stepping up and playing really good competition. We always get to play our subs more than they might in a regular season game. So this gives us a chance to see who has earned more playing time.”
Against the Lady Lions of Concord Chuckey-Doak spent most of the first half on its heels as it struggled to penetrate the Lady Lions’ back line while the attack continually got turned to the goal Lady Knights were protecting.
Concord broke through in the 11th minute when Annie Von Hagen stole possession and quickly moved up the field where she worked keeper Cora Merrill one on one and slid a shot into the frame from 15 yards.
In the 16th minute the Lady Lions struck again to improve the lead to 2-0. Von Hagen set up the score with a pass from the right side to the center of the box that found Katie Grace Barnes. Barnes took a shot from six yards that she slipped it inside the right post.
Despite the two goals in the first half Merrill kept the game from being a runaway with a handful of tough grabs. That included a diving save in the 24th minute after Kensley Jennings beat the defense, and a tough catch in the upper corner of the frame on a strong free kick from Delaney Walker.
In total Merrill finished with 11 saves on Saturday as she continues to learn her new position between the posts.
“Cora may not have as many shots taken on her the rest of the season as she did in this tournament,” Ricker said. “This is a great tournament for her, and she had some great saves today but she had even better saves yesterday. She is improving every game in all aspects, and you hope she gets some confidence when making this many saves.”
Out of halftime Concord pushed its lead to 3-0 in the 42nd minute. Emory Thomas worked into the box with a long run up the left side before sending a pass to Von Hagen whose shot was deflected but still bounced into the net.
Chuckey-Doak finally found some life on offense in the second half with Abby Hoxie getting off a shot in the 56th minute from the top of the box. In the 61st minute Tavyn Southerland put a good swing on a free kick from 32 yards but keeper Olivia Heatherly knocked it away.
Southerland, who moved all over the field on Saturday and never came out of the game, saw her hard work pay off in the 79th minute when she found the back of the net. She worked the defense and kept the ball at her feet before taking a shot from the middle of the box. The first attempt was turned away but she followed the spill, knocked it away from the goalie and punched it home from close range.
“Tavyn starts the game at sweeper and does a phenomenal job. Then we move her to defensive mid because we were losing the ball in the middle, and then we moved her to striker to try to get a goal,” Ricker said. “She does everything well, and what more can you ask of her? She’ll never ask to come out no matter how hot it is or how many minutes she has played. She gives everything she has every time she steps on the field.”
