Greencstle girls win first-round match

TERRE HAUTE -- The Greencastle Tiger Cubs' girls' soccer team advanced to the second round of the Terre Haute South Sectional with a 5-0 win over South Vermillion Tuesday.

"The girls played exceptionally well (Tuesday)," Greencastle coach Maurice McKee said after the match. "It was a very well-played game on our part. We had a lot of good passing, the girls were fired up, and we got off to a really good start."

One aspect of the game in which Coach McKee thought his team excelled was in the passing department.

"The girls were passing really well, and they were talking on the field," McKee said. "They were talking to each other very well. It's one thing to say, 'I'm open,' but tonight they were really communicating. I was hearing, 'I'm open on your left,' and that's the kind of communication you want; direct talking."

Greencastle now advances to the second round of the sectional, where they will face the Sullivan Golden Arrows, who earned a double-overtime victory over Northview in the second match Tuesday.

McKee said his team is going to have to play with confidence if it wants to earn a berth in the championship match on Saturday.

"We've got to get more confident. We're happy with where we are, but we've got to have more confidence," McKee said.

The Tiger Cubs have not seen Sullivan since their preseason scrimmage, leaving McKee unsure as to what he and his team should expect in Thursday's second-round match.

"We really don't have any idea what we're up against yet," McKee said. "You can't really tell how good somebody is in a 20-minute scrimmage."

The Arrows boast a 11-2-1 record on the season.

Sullivan's Alex Johnson, who scored the game-winning goal in the Arrows' 2-1 win over the Knights Tuesday, is sixth in the state in points per game with 3.85 and averages 1.77 points per game.

Emily Lahey, Sullivan's goalkeeper, should also provide a challenge for the Tiger Cubs. She is ranked ninth in the state in goals allowed, giving up just 0.66 goals per game.

Greencastle and Sullivan will play in the second match of Thursday's semifinal at Terre Haute South with a scheduled start of 7 p.m.

At Terre Haute South

Girls' Soccer Sectional

First Round

South Vermillion 0

Greencastle 5

Next Match -- The Tiger Cubs will face Sullivan in the second round of the Terre Haute South Sectional Thursday at 7 p.m.