If you read our last report on the Lady Bruins Wednesday, the last thing we told you was “If you like good soccer…be at Bruin field at 3:00 PM this Thursday”.
This game had it all, except a Lady Bruin win at the end. The match was thick with emotion, intensity, desperation, anger, happiness, determination, and that was just the fans on the sidelines.
You could feel it in the air, two teams that knew this game meant more than any they had played all season. The 6-1 Lady Bruins hosted the only team to best them this season, the undefeated North Bend Lady Bulldogs, and the game did not disappoint.
The Lady Bruins came out ready to play, and the Lady Bulldogs matched. The game was a battle of ball control in the middle of the field, tough tackles and full speed challenges marked the first portion of the first half.
Adrenaline kept the Lady Bruins in the game early, but the Lady Bulldogs game plan was to challenge all balls in the air and dominate position between possessions.
The Lady Bulldogs had clearly done their homework as they neutralized the speed of forward #10 Avana Pettus with a soft offside trap, and challenged Captain #18 Abby Farmer on every possession.
The first score came at the 22-minute mark of the first half when North Bend would win a direct free kick just outside the 18. The Lady Bulldogs would take advantage and shoot the ball hitting the crossbar and bouncing just over the goal line on the rebound, putting North Bend up 1-0.
North Bend took their 1-0 lead into the half and picked up where they left to open the 2nd half. The Lady Bruins struggled throughout to keep possession as they were routinely beat to the ball, and spent most of their energy chasing loose balls. The Lady Bulldogs would not allow clean easy passes and the Lady Bruins struggled to get the ball accurately and effectively from the midfielders to the forwards.
Both teams had opportunities in front their opposing goals, but the soft offside trap would keep Pettus pressed forward at the half line, and then back off when the Bruins would try to get their forwards a fast break, keeping the scoring front line out of position and challenged on every shot.
The Lady Bulldogs would score again late in the second half, again on a set piece, this time a corner kick. Neither team actually broke the defense of the other, but the Lady Bulldogs got the right bounces at the right time on their set pieces to win the game 2-0.
The Lady Bruins will play their last home game next Tuesday when they meet up with South Umpqua / Riddle at 3:00 PM.