Cardinals sweep Smoky Mountain Cup
Published 9:55 pm Monday, August 28, 2017
The George Rogers Clark High School girls soccer team took its winning ways across the border and didn’t let up.
The Cardinals remain perfect on the year (6-0) after winning three games in the Smoky Mountain Cup in Gatlinburg, Tenn. over the weekend.
GRC defeated three Tennessee teams — St. George’s, Rossview and White House.
GRC 3, St. George’s 2
The Cardinals kicked things off with a win Friday evening. After a scoreless first half, the Cardinals fell behind 2-0 just 10 minutes into the second half.
But GRC returned fire quickly, getting a goal from Allie Bush in the 52nd minute and the equalizer from Leslie Hernandez in the 60th. Bush earned the assist on the second goal.
Nearing the final 10 minues, Shannon Ramey scored on a penalty kick and the Cardinals held on for the win.
Goalkeeper Laura Martin had seven saves.
“After going down 2-0, we finally found our feet after the long bus ride and started to play,” GRC coach Matthew Abner said. “We found a way to win even being down 2-0. “
GRC 3, Rossview 1
In the first of two games on Saturday, the Cardinals got a hat trick from Hernandez to top Rossview.
Hernandez scored with five minutes left in the first half, assisted by Maddie Mann. She scored twice in the final 10 minutes to put Rossview away.
Martin finished with nine saves
“Late scoring let us pull away,” Abner said. “Leslie Hernandez put together a great scoring effort to help her team win the game.”
GRC 9, White House 2
The Cardinals finished the three-game trip with a game, topping White House, 9-2.
Delaney Manning started the scoring in the first 21 seconds and didn’t stop, finishing the game with four goals.
In the 12th minute, Ramey scored on a Haley Hannan assist. Haley Bush added a third in the 23rd minute, assisted by Caitlin Fike.
Manning scored twice more before the end of the first half. Allie Bush assisted on one of the goals.
In the second half, Allie Bush scored a pair of goals and assisted a Ramey score. Manning added her fourth of the game.
Martin had 10 saves.
“Our defense contained their forwards who were very good,” Abner said. “Laura (Martin) had a great game and a great weekend making diving save after diving save. Great game and an exciting weekend. It was nice to win this tournament with the level of competition we had to face.”
GRC is back in Kentucky to face Corbin on the road tonight. The Cardinals return to Winchester for a four-game stretch starting with a Sept. 2 meeting with Federick Douglass.