Blazers pummel Damascus

Blair girls' junior varsity soccer team beat the Damascus Hornets yesterday, 4-2.

After a quick start and an easy first goal by Julia Mazerov, Damascus's footwork got the better of the Blazers and Damascus scored two goals by the end of the first half. The Blazers countered with their own attack, consisting of short direct passes to teammates and long kicks from the defense, several of which cleared the half line.

When entering the second half losing by one goal, the game looked destined for failure for the Blazers. However, a skillful goal by forward Katie Scott evened out the game. In the ensuing 15 minutes of the second half, Blair's unstoppable forwards scored two more goals.

For the majority of the game, the play was balanced equally between Blair and Damascus, though late in the second half the Blazers dominated the field, using fancy footwork and back passes to control the game. Due to Damascus's tendency to foul, the Blazers had numerous chances for taking indirect shots on goal.

Blair goalie Xenia Oroxom played magnificently, thinking quickly and making numerous speedy saves, the most impressive being when she snatched the ball mid air while a Damascus forward prepared to head the ball into the goal. Close calls were littered throughout the game, but the Blazer pulled through, ruling the field.

Coach Summer Roark, was proud of the team's performance, especially in the rough conditions of the muddy fields and chilly weather. "[They] deal with a lot of that," explains Roark, "They're good sports."

The team's next home game is Tuesday against Northwest.