Tiger Cubs, Chargers match ends in a draw

After bagging two straight victories, Greencastle's girls' soccer team hosted North Montgomery on Wednesday night full of confidence.

The match started brightly for the Tiger Cubs but a combination of the heat and fatigue took its toll as the hosts had to settle for a 1-1 draw against the Chargers.

It took six minutes for Sydney Secrest to open the scoring after being threaded through the North Montgomery defense by Melody White.

Secrest drifted off to her left before rifling a shot past Charger goalkeeper Clair Daron to take a 1-0 lead.

The advantage would last only five minutes as the visitors struck back through Hayden Parsons.

Haley Foster sent a ball over the top of the Tiger Cub defense that Parsons reached first and beat keeper Amelia Smith to her near post to level the score at 1-1.

Both squads had chances to take the lead throughout the first half, with the Chargers particularly wasteful.

Parsons missed the chance to take the lead 20 seconds after she had scored but was denied by Smith and Breanna Hampton fired the follow-up shot wide.

Secrest nearly took the lead back for Greencastle a minute later but, after dribbling past most of the North Montgomery defense, hit a shot to the wrong side of Daron's goalpost.

Parsons again was sent in on goal 15 minutes later but skied her shot over Smith's goal.

Secrest, with a free kick 20 yards away from goal, nearly fooled Daron with a shot around the visitor's wall but the Charger goalkeeper was able to tip the effort wide.

To start the second half, Parsons had the best chance of the match for North Montgomery, but was denied by a charging Smith four minutes after halftime.

The match slowed and became a midfield battle for long stretches of the half, with both squads showing the effects of the upper 80's heat.

15 minutes from the end of the match, Secrest sent in a free kick that found its way to Bailey Lausee, who couldn't direct her effort on goal.

As the match entered the final seconds, Greencastle nearly stole the show in spectacular fashion.

Secrest, after having her initial cross blocked, sent in a second cross in off the byline that snuck underneath Daron and hit the post.

The ball bounced underneath Daron but not far enough away for Taylor Runnells to tap it into the net and the final whistle sounded shortly thereafter.

Greencastle head coach Jamie Grivas said afterwards that the squad didn't quite have the legs to attack the Chargers after their fourth match in nine days.

"The first part of our season has been game after game after game and we haven't had a chance to slow down. We looked tired tonight," Grivas admitted.

"After a stretch of game, practice, game, practice, game, practice, I can't blame them. We got too comfortable with a one goal lead and they scored, but both teams then settled into a rut."

Grivas added that after two wins, the draw would be disappointing but that the schedule continued to roll along.

"We didn't play as well as we could have, though some girls played well. Once we got Katie Rose Parsons in the game, she was shutting down their center and winning balls for us," Grivas said.

"We just couldn't connect tonight, but we can't dwell on tonight's mistakes. We have another game early next week that we need to look forward to.

"We have to get this one out of our heads. We won the last two games and we looked awesome. We just need to come back next week and play like we know we can."

At Greencastle

Greencastle -- 1

North Montgomery -- 1

Scoring

First Half

33:42 -- Secrest (1-0)

27:36 -- Parsons (1-1)