Blair girls’ soccer team becomes division champion after defeating Sherwood Warriors

On Oct. 11, the Blair Blazers (6-1) secured the title of division champs in a win against the Sherwood Warriors (4-4) with a score of 2-1. Though this game was particularly difficult in the first half, the Blazers fought till the end and managed to turn the game around by the second half. 

The Blazers started strong in the first half, as most of the game was played on the offensive side. Blair offensive players consistently steered plays towards the goal box. Passes were long and clean, and the Warriors' attempts to intercept them were frequently unsuccessful. Blair’s defensive players, on the other hand, were able to keep Warriors away from the goalkeeper and steal possession from their opponents swiftly. 

Both teams were unable to score for the majority of the first half, but Blair striker Simone Hargrove made Blair's first goal with only six minutes remaining. The Sherwood goalkeeper blocked her initial attempt, but Hargrove quickly regained possession of the ball and scored.

Less than ten minutes later, Blair's team lost control over the center of the field, and as they did, the Warriors made it through Blair’s defense and scored a narrow goal. Junior Luisa Mini expressed disappointment over the Blazers’ performance in the first half. “I think that communication was kind of an issue,” Mini said. “We [left] the center open a lot, which was not good while playing this team.” 

The score was tied at 1-1, but the Blazers still had another half to win the game. Mini and her teammates agreed that with a few adjustments, they had a good chance of beating their opponents. “Maximize communication, watch the center, knock balls into the goal at any time. Get shots in as early as possible,” Mini told her teammates. 

 The second half of the game featured much more aggressive playing, as a number of fouls resulted in multiple free kicks for both teams. Two Warriors were also injured during the second half, and various players had to be substituted. Several attempts were made by Blair players to score, but none were successful. Blair goalkeeper Danielle Kashkooli blocked numerous attempts by the Warriors as well. 

By the end of the second half, both teams had still not scored any more points. Because the score was tied, playing continued for another ten minutes. With only four minutes remaining in overtime, senior Tilelli Zahar scored the Blazers’ second and final goal. Blair had just won their fifth consecutive division title. 

Varsity Coach Robert Gibb commented on the significance of the Blazer win. “We annually tend to play Sherwood for the division title. They always schedule this as the last division game, so whoever wins is the division champ. So, [this] had a lot of meaning. We played very well. We had possession of the ball much more than they did, especially in the second half,” Gibb said. 

The Blair girls’ soccer team still has a lot of games left to win, and a lot more goals to score. The Blazers hope to continue their winning streak as they enter playoffs.  

The Blazers will play their next home game against the Clarksburg Coyotes on Monday, Oct. 18 at 7:15 p.m.