The past weekend had been nothing but hectic for the Lady Bucs as they hustled through their Friday night game against Georgia Southern, then took on the College of Charleston Cougars on Sunday at Liberty Bell Soccer Field.
After a disappointing loss of 3-2 in overtime against Georgia Southern, there was hope in the hard work of the team.
With strength and dedication, especially from senior Lisa Gallagher and sophomore Heather Sanden, the Bucs planned to take the victory on Sunday.
Unfortunately, the Bucs (1-4-1, 0-2 SoCon) could not hold their own against the College of Charleston (1-3-1, 1-1 SoCon) falling 5-0.
Beginning the game with a solid block and then a pass to teammate Jennifer Fields, sophomore Melissa Wilder helped lead both the offense and defense throughout the first half.
Freshman Lisa Cain also showed what she could do with her control of the ball down the field, trying to beef up the offense.
Another freshman to watch for, Ashley Richards, had a shot on the goal and a strong hold in defense against the Cougars during the second half.
Sanden held her ground during the first half, colliding with Claire Wigfall of the Cougars.
Sanden yet saved the ball anyway in a maneuver that is typical “Heather Sanden” dedication according to head coach Heather Henson.
She played for 90 minutes and ended up with six saves on 26 total shots.
Yet the strong defense of the Lady Bucs may have overshadowed some mandatory offensive moves.
After a penalty kick from Jenn Grillo, the Cougars scored their first point of the game.
“Our plan was to work it around through midfield, forwards and backs and look for the seams,” Henson said.
“Our backs weren’t utilized to the game.”
Senior Kristin Redfern gave plenty of nice, smooth hits but to no avail.
The Lady Bucs seemed to already be exhausted from the defense that kept Charleston only one point ahead in the first half.
The second half seemed to seal their fate.
After some powerful attempts from ETSU to make a goal to get back in the game, their energy seemed to waver for a while.
The team gave its all but the Charleston Cougars were already riding high on the lead point they made.
“Overcoming Friday’s game and looking for the seams was important,” Henson said of the strategy the Bucs were going for.
The Lady Bucs travel to Asheville, N.C., on Tuesday at 4 p.m. to play the UNC-Asheville Bulldogs.
The Lady Bucs will be striving to complete several goals.
“Focusing on details, being patient and not rushing,” Henson said at the game’s end.
“At halftime we said we need to get our sides widened. Taking our time and getting up there is what we want.

Author