Head coach Brian Carlson, and his BHHS varsity girls soccer team came into their final homegame of the 2022/23 regular season watching the league scoreboard, needing the St. Mary’s Lady Crusaders to lose their game against Lakeview to possibly secure a spot in post season play.
The Bruin girls, hosting the 4-8-1 Cascade Christian Lady Challengers late Monday afternoon were aggressive from the opening whistle, challenging loose balls determined to control time of possession and field position in the slick rainy conditions.
This allowed the Bruin girls to gain control of the ball in positions to attack the Lady Challengers defense quickly, spreading the defense out and pushing the ball back into open spaces in the middle for shots.
The Bruin girls wasted no time taking many shots on goal early in the half before senior Zoey Carlson, #11, received a cross from senior forward Lily Strahm, #2, from the right wing to just outside the goal box and put the shot behind the Lady Challenger keeper just under 4:00 minutes into the game.
Cascade Christian would then just clear attacks out of their backfield to relieve the Bruin girls relentless offensive pressure, making much of the first half a ball control struggle in the mid-field to create fast break attempts on the others defense. But the Bruin girls would keep their strategy of pushing the balls to the corners and feeding the middle. Again Carlson would connect, finding the back of the net at the 36:00 minute mark of the first half, sending the Bruin girls into the break leading 2-0.
To start the second half of play, both teams would adjust to the wet field conditions and sustain some lengthy passing schemes and calculated attacks on each others defenses, while attempting to not get beat over the top while pushed into the opposing half of the field.
The Lady Challengers would capitalize on a Bruin girls offside trap mistake just before the mid way point of the second half, and get out raced to the goal for a Cascade Christian goal to close the score to 2-1.
Now within a goal of tying the game, the Bruin girls attack and control of the mid field would apply pressure to the Cascade Christian defense and again Carlson would gather the ball on the left edge of the penalty box, drive across the face of the goal and hit an outside shot to re-establish a 2 goal lead 57:00 minutes into the goal.
Sitting at 3-1 late in the game, Cascade Christian had no other option than to push players up to take shots, taking them out of their offense and allowing senior Zoe Carlson, #11, to find her way to the Cascade Christian goal for a one-on-one fast break opportunity for her fourth goal of the game to secure the late 4-1 win.
