Last year saw the Tologs and Rebels tie, 1-1. This season’s opener was drastically different.
The score wasn’t indicative of just how dominant the Tologs were, but it was evidence to the area in which they likely need to improve most.
“Ultimately, you gotta finish,” Pace said. “We had a lot of good looks.”
In all, Sacred Heart fired 23 shots, but converted on only two, both of the goals coming off of corner kicks.
“We’re a brand new team,” said senior defender Pip Harragin, one of the team’s five captains. “We played well for being a brand new team. The goals will come over time.”
The first goal of the season came just three minutes in on the year’s first shot.
Freshman Katie Johnson, having headed a loose ball over the Prep goalie’s head and then having her subsequent shot attempt deflected, created a corner kick.
Johnson’s kick found the head of fellow freshman Jillian Jacobs, who scored for a 1-0 lead.
The second goal came via Harragin’s corner with just under 10 minutes remaining in the match, as she curved in a 2-0 lead.
“Both goals were corner kicks that we defended badly,” said first-year Prep Coach Esteban Chavez, who’s coaching both the school’s boys’ and girls’ teams.
For the Rebels, the biggest highlights were likely the efforts put in by their goalies.
Elise Young made four first-half saves, while Stephanie Bathke made seven.
The majority of the match saw the Tologs offense firmly entrenched in front of the Rebels’ goal, with senior Bianca Garoian and freshmen Jacobs, Johnson, Breeana Koemans and Tera Trujillo leading the offensive charge.
But most of the Tologs’ chances ended with direct shots right at the Rebels keepers.
