First Win of the Season for Charger Soccer

First Win of the Season for Charger Soccer: Columbia State Dominates in Statement Win

Charger soccer claimed their first victory of the season in a dominant fashion, defeating Hinds Community College in an 11-goal shutout on Sunday. This victory not only secured their first win, but also set a new school record for the most goals scored in a single match.

The Chargers wasted no time in establishing their dominance, with freshman Ally Hawkins scoring the opening goal within the first few minutes. This set the tone for the rest of the match, as the Chargers continued the attack, netting five goals in the first half alone. After the break, the team returned to the field even more determined, adding six more goals to their tally and securing the victory.

This statement win came after a frustrating tie in their previous match against Wabash Valley, where a controversial red card forced the Chargers to play with one less player on the field. The clean sheet against Hinds was particularly satisfying for head coach Kean Barclay.

"The fact that we got a clean sheet, that's really important," Barclay remarked, highlighting the team's defensive discipline. "I know the girls take a lot of pride in a clean sheet."

Sophomore Abigale Alexander led the scoring effort with a hat trick, scoring two goals in the first half and another in the second.

"It feels really good, because I didn't score on Thursday," Alexander said, reflecting on her performance.

Sophomore Cassie Groves also played a crucial role, finishing the day with four assists.

"I hope that this all builds our confidence and that we can just use this momentum into the Lewis and Clark game," Groves commented.

Barclay expressed his satisfaction with the team's overall performance, emphasizing the importance of a well-rounded effort.

"I'm happy we put a complete game together–first and second half," Barclay said. "Everyone contributed, and that's kind of what we're working for. We still have a lot of work to do, but the girls played very well today."

Barclay also acknowledged the advantage they had, noting that Hinds played a game the day before, whereas the Chargers had two days of rest.

"We took advantage of the fact that Hinds played a game yesterday," Barclay explained. "It's difficult to play back-to-back games. We wanted to make sure that we used that to our advantage."

Looking ahead, Barclay knows the road will only get tougher for the Chargers.

"It only gets harder from here. If you look at the schedule we have, it's an incredibly challenging schedule. We're playing three nationally ranked teams, including the number one ranked team in the country, back-to-back national champs," Barclay said, referring to their upcoming match against Iowa Western on September 6. "There are no off days. I think everyone needs to have that mentality that we need to get better every day."

The Chargers will next face Lewis and Clark Community College on Thursday, August 29, where they hope to build on their momentum.

By Jackson Gary