Perfect season ends for WCMS soccer
The five-match winning streak to start the season for WCMS soccer was snapped Monday by Coffee County.
With the way the Lady Pioneers have scored all season, an early goal by Coffee County Monday night felt more like a speed bump than a roadblock.
It turned out to be the difference in Warren County's first loss of the season.
The Lady Pioneers fell 1-0 at home Monday night, dropping to 5-1 overall after Coffee County scored in the eighth minute and spent the rest of the match protecting the lead.
Warren County entered the rematch having scored 24 goals during its perfect 5-0 start, including a 3-2 victory over Coffee County in the season opener. This time, the Lady Pioneers couldn't find the equalizer after the Lady Raiders got a breakaway in the eighth minute that ended in the back of the net.
It wasn't for a lack of opportunities for the home team though.
Once the Lady Pioneers felt the urgency in the second half, Warren County had a couple of shots clang off the post and another dangerous chance developed off a corner, with the ball bouncing around in front of the Coffee County goal before the Lady Pioneers were ultimately turned away.
As the match wore on, Coffee County became increasingly committed to protecting its advantage. The visitors packed defenders into the box, throwing more bodies back every time Warren County tried to make a push.
It worked. For the first time this season, the Lady Pioneers were held scoreless.
Coach Sally Willmore felt Warren County's biggest issue came well before its late push. The Lady Pioneers struggled to match the necessary energy early and were forced to spend most of the night trying to dig out of an early hole.
"I told them I can’t control their effort. Only they have control over that," said Willmore. "We decided to put in the effort the last 10-15 minutes and it was too late.”
While the loss Monday will sting, especially with a border rival breaking up a perfect season, it won’t affect the team’s perfect district record. The Lady Pioneers can keep that intact Thursday when the group makes the trip to Sparta.
“We discussed how important it is to see 100 percent effort from everyone coming in to our district match,” said Willmore about the message after the game to her team.
Kickoff Thursday is set for 6 p.m.
