THE DALLES’ Jennifer Bonham (middle) tries to put the ball past Mac-Hi goalkeeper Vilde Roemo, of Norway, in the second half of Tuesday’s girls’ varsity soccer match at Wahtonka. Vilde had three saves in the Pioneers’ 2-0 win.
THE DALLES’ Jennifer Bonham (middle) tries to put the ball past Mac-Hi goalkeeper Vilde Roemo, of Norway, in the second half of Tuesday’s girls’ varsity soccer match at Wahtonka. Vilde had three saves in the Pioneers’ 2-0 win.
In the first few weeks of camp and the regular season, The Dalles Riverhawk girls’ soccer team has been in adjustment mode under veteran head coach Colby Tonn’s new flat-back four defensive scheme.
TD’s defense allowed a pair of second-half goals and generated a handful of offensive chances of their own in a 2-0 loss to Mac-Hi Tuesday at Wahtonka.
With his newly-formed defensive core of Alexia Tapia, Ivorie Taylor, Emma Weir, Molly Taylor and foreign exchange student Marte Solberg, of Norway, allowed just nine shots on goal in 80 minutes of play, a good sign, given Mac-Hi’s team speed.
“I think they are at a good spot,” Tonn said of the overall defensive effort. “I think they did well tonight, and they did well in the jamboree and now we are ready to add that next layer. You cannot put in a new system in a week or two and expect it to work right away. We start with the back, I thought they did well, and now it is about getting the mids to tie that in. That buildup play and also getting to the right side of the field will be the next things we will be working on.”
Jennifer Bonham played the first half and made three saves, while Mac-Hi attacked the Riverhawk goal with the wind at their backs.
TD goalkeeper Emma Smith-Ell made six saves in the second half, but was tagged with the hard-luck loss.
In her first game of the year, sophomore defender Emma Weir is feeling optimistic about the defense.
There is speed, skill and passing ability on the back line.
“I think that our flat-back four is working. We need to talk more and work on switching the field, but overall, I thought we played pretty good for our first real game,” Weir said. “It is just an adjustment and most of the girls just have to get used to it. We do have two new freshmen, who did not play with us at all last year, so once we all get going, we will do well.”
With the wind at their faces, the Lady Pioneers struck once in the 54th minute on a goal by Rachel Lyons and another time in the 58th minute on a goal by Leslie Ponce.
Esmerelda Pedroza picked up an assist on the Ponce goal.
“I think the wind factor was a big thing for us,” Mac-Hi coach Martin Martinez said. “First half, we had the wind with us, so every through-ball we had, the ball was moving too fast. In the second half, we made it a point to pass the ball on the ground with shorter passes and that’s how we broke their rhythm.”
Mac-Hi foreign exchange student Vilde Roemo, of Norway, made three saves in the shutout win.
TD had a few chances with Bonham being stopped from close range, Hannah Walasavage had a chance saved and both Brooke McCall and Weir had long shots sail over the net.
McCall just missed the left corner by inches at the 48-minute mark of the second half.
The Riverhawks (0-1 overall) host Redmond at 4 p.m. Thursday for another non-league soccer match at Wahtonka.
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