It was a later start than usual for the Bradford girls soccer team playing under the lights at Parkway Field. But it was the same result for the Lady Owls as their game earlier this week. Bradford defeated Corry 3-1 on Thursday to move back above .500 on the year (7-6).
A pair of goals late in the first half proved to be the difference in a game that provided plenty of back-and-forth action.
“The good thing we saw tonight was that we maintained control of the game,” BHS coach Colton Bly said. “Our belief is that if we monopolize ball possession, we increase the number of chances we have to score. When we fall into some opponent’s style of playing long, hoping for the best, we don’t maximize our chances. We stuck to our style and we did well.”
Both teams had their share of chances in the early going, with the slight possession edge going to Bradford. The Lady Owls were making good decisions but their passes were often just a bit off the mark.
The breakthrough finally came with just under 10 minutes left in the first half. Sophomore Regan Johnson was able to draw a foul in the opposing box and coolly converted the subsequent penalty kick to give Bradford the lead.
But the Lady Beavers rebounded quickly, keeping Bradford pinned in its own end as the half wound down. It looked for a while like Corry might be able to equalize the score before the half.
But with just over a minute to go, freshman Jade Jimerson put home a loose rebound to make the score 2-0 Bradford. It was a huge goal given how much pressure Bradford had been under in the preceding minutes.
The Beavers found the back of the net just over 10 minutes into the second half on their own penalty kick to make it 2-1 Bradford.
With just a one-goal lead, it looked like the Owls would have to fight just to stay ahead. But they got a huge insurance goal when Johnson broke through the defense for a one-on-one opportunity. Her shot was blocked by the keeper, but fortunately junior Mikayla Bond was right there to put away the opportunity and give Bradford a big two-goal advantage.
Some tinkering with the team’s offensive strategy has resulted in contributions from up and down the lineup according to Bly.
“We’ve been working on having more dynamic attacks,” he said. “Lately we’ve become predictable with trying to build out of the back to play wide and creating chances from crosses. We’ve been working on our front three players making runs to build centrally. That’s probably why more players are scoring.”
Throughout the contest, both sides engaged in a lot of physical play. Bradford had to fight for every inch of grass in the victory, but showed it had the skill and stamina to outlast a very game opponent.
“Technique and tactics can overpower physical play and that’s why we play the style we play,” Bly said. “The girls stuck to it and that’s why we were able to remain in control for most of the match.
“The girls noticed if we stick to what we know, we’ll do well.”
Bradford will look to make it three wins in a row on Saturday when the Lady Owls host Iroquois at 11 a.m.
