Second-half rally by Brattain, Tiger Cubs comes up just short

Greencastle sophomore Hannah Brattain slices through defenders during Monday's game. Brattain scored two second-half goals in the loss to Crawfordsville. (Banner Graphic/GRANT WIEMAN)

The Greencastle girls' soccer team was forced to dig itself out of a hole on Tuesday, but their second-half run came up just short as the team lost to visiting Crawfordsville 3-2.

Sophomore Hannah Brattain had both goals for GHS, both in the second, after the Tiger Cubs fell behind 3-0 before the break.

"It was a tough one," GHS coach Jamie Grivas said. "We had a good chat at halftime. We figured out what we were doing wrong and we pulled it together nicely. We dominated the second half. It's there but we've got to be able to do it in the first half."

Brattain was consistently on the attack when she was on the field during the second half, working nicely with junior forward Mary Parker. Parker assisted on both goals.

"It's about time we saw that foot (of Brattain)," Grivas said. "She can clearly shoot and we haven't seen that in a couple games."

The Tiger Cubs' first goal came in the opening minutes of the second half and seemed to lift their spirits. After a sloppy first half, GHS found its rhythm and Brattain added her second score just a few minutes later. Greencastle controlled play for most of the game but the Athenians kept them from attacking again the Tiger Cubs did not have many opportunities to tie the score.

GHS had possession for most of the first half as well, but instead of making crisp passes and forming coordinated attacks, the team sat back on its heels, Grivas said.

"We really did not move to the ball in the first half," she said. "We clearly are capable of it. The second half is evidence of that, but we can't get in the habit of coming out in the first half and sitting back and waiting for the ball to get to us because that's not going to win you games."

While the Tiger Cubs' offense is based more on passing and ball control, the Athenians have a vastly different style.

Crawfordsville had only a few runs, all on dumps into the zone that allowed its players to go one-on-one with the defense. Their shots all came on a full-speed runs and hit their spots above sophomore goalie Amelia Smith with an unsustainable level of consistency.

"It took our defense a little while to figure out how to stop that," Grivas said. "Amelia deserves a shout-out because she kept her composure even though she was under some tough circumstances and didn't let them come back on her in the second half."

Sophomore Reilly Dunham had two goals for the Athenians and junior Hannah Whicker had one. Freshman Maddie Hudson and sophomore Emily Cullen each had an assist.

Grabservations

Greencastle has a tremendous amount of depth at forward.

The team has several players, in the starting lineup and on the bench, who are capable of making a run on net and finishing. Grivas does a wonderful job mixing the players in and out to keep them fresh and keep the offensive pace up. When Parker, sophomore Bailey Lausee or senior Melody White get tired, Grivas can go to Brattain, freshman Whitney Weinschenk or others without any drop-off in play.
"We have a lot of depth on our bench right now, so it's a great position for me to be in," Grivas said. "If I sub I don't have to worry. The girls on my bench are just as talented as the girls that start on the field."

White's value is greater than her play on the field.

Of the three seniors on the team (along with Rosio Gomez and Brittany Friars), White is the only one who plays the forward position. Surrounded by underclassmen, she sets a strong example of how to be vocal, go all-out and get in proper position.
After Monday's game Grivas said White was single-handedly carrying the team's intensity in the first half, which allowed her to use White's example as halftime motivation.

The Tiger Cubs' next game is Wednesday when the team travels to North Montgomery to take on the Chargers at 5:30 p.m.

At Greencastle
Crawfordsville.........3 0 -- 3
Greencastle.............0 2 -- 2