Orioles girls’ soccer battles through two tough matches
The Lennox High School girls’ soccer team faced a pair of challenging opponents last week, falling to Groton Area, 2-1, on Tuesday, Sept. 15, before dropping a 7-0 decision to Dakota Valley on Thursday, Sept. 17.
Lennox traveled to Groton Area on Tuesday and came away with a 2-1 loss despite creating several scoring opportunities.
“We played a great game against Groton Area,” head coach Paul McVey said. “We had more shots than them, more corner kicks than them and more meaningful chances than them, but they scored twice on their best chances and we only scored one, resulting in a defeat.”
The Orioles’ lone goal came from Nora Alustiza Roitegui, who scored on a through ball from Adie McVey.
“It is great having an exchange student from Spain in Nora,” McVey said. “She has really fit in well on the field and off, and we are so excited that she was able to get her first goal as an Oriole in Groton.”
McVey said the competitive match provided valuable experience for the Orioles as they head toward the end of the regular season.
“This game definitely got us better,” he said. “You can learn more from a loss than a win, and hopefully how hard we played will translate into more victories going into the last week of the season and on to the playoffs.”
Lennox returned home Thursday to host Dakota Valley, falling 7-0.
Despite the final score, McVey said the Orioles were competitive throughout the first half and led to a positive outlook heading into the postseason.
“We suffered a 7-0 defeat to Dakota Valley, but the score does not reflect how competitive we were in the game,” McVey said. “We were down 2-0 at halftime, but we eventually became fatigued and lost some focus in the second half, resulting in the lopsided game.”
McVey noted the challenge Dakota Valley presented, calling the team one of the top two teams in the state.
“They are very skilled and had lots of speed on their back line which made it very difficult for us to find some goals,” he said.
Despite the loss, McVey said the experience gave the Orioles confidence heading into the final stretch of the season.
“We are encouraged by this game because if Dakota Valley is one of the top teams, we definitely are not afraid of them and think that we have a chance against any team we play because we have great chemistry, character, and competitiveness,” he said.
Lennox was scheduled to travel to Vermillion on Tuesday, Sept. 22, and will host West Central on Thursday, Sept. 24, at the Sinning Sports Complex. The varsity match is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.