Nation Ford wasn't afraid to get physical with Northwestern out on the pitch
The Nation Ford girls soccer team used a stingy defense and some timely goals to come away with a 2-0 win over the Northwestern Trojans and go back above the .500 mark.
The Falcons came into the match up with Northwestern with a 4-4 overall record on the season, but was looking to make a statement against the Trojans.
“They were a pretty big team,” said Nation Ford head coach Aaron Weldon. “They were very physical. It’s a shame we didn’t score more goals, but it was a good game. I enjoyed it.”
Nation Ford got some clear early looks at the goal, but couldn’t find the back of the net as the two teams battled for control through most of the first half. Neither team had a big advantage over the other in the early going.
The Falcons finally broke that back and forth battle with a goal from Cierra Feaster to give them a 1-0 lead at the 18 minute mark. From there, Nation Ford got several other looks in the next few minutes, but couldn’t convert.
Nation Ford kept peppering shots at the Northwestern goal, but still wasn’t able to make anything happen. After the goal, the Falcons controlled possession more throughout the first half, while Northwestern struggled to move the ball past midfield. When they did make it past midfield, the Falcons’ defense was there to surround the Trojans and prevent them from getting shots on goal.
Northwestern opened the second half taking control of the ball, only to have the Falcons steal it away from them in the early going. Every time the Trojans seemed to get a touch on the ball, Nation Ford was right there to take the ball away. The Trojans did get an early corner kick about four minutes into the second half, but to no avail as Falcons’ keeper Izzy Dyckes was right there to answer the challenge.
The Trojans did present more of a second half challenge to Nation Ford with more touches and more possessions. Despite the extra touches, it was Nation Ford that took advantage of things when they got control. At the 51 minute mark, Ellie Wolfram scored for the Falcons on a cross to put them up 2-0 and in firm control of the game.
Nation Ford started to control the ball more again after the second goal, much like they did after the first, and got several more good shot attempts, despite the Trojans’ defense best efforts.
Despite being down, Northwestern continued to stay on the attack throughout the second part of the second half, keeping the back line of the Falcons on their toes to prevent losing the shutout.
Up next for Nation Ford are games against AC Flora and Hartsville as part of the Palmetto Cup next week during spring break.
Mac Banks: mbanks@comporium.net, @MacBanksFM
This story was originally published March 28, 2018 at 8:42 PM with the headline "Nation Ford wasn't afraid to get physical with Northwestern out on the pitch."