Chargers pass good test before key CPIC game

By Andrew Stevens
Published in Sports on April 10, 2008 2:46 PM

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With a major conference test just 48 hours away, Wayne Country Day passed Wednesday's tune-up with relative ease.

Kim Martell and Catherine Ford each scored a goal, and a stingy Chargers defense did the rest in a 2-0 victory over county foe Rosewood. Wayne Country Day (7-1-1 overall) entertains Coastal Plains Independent 1-A rival Kerr-Vance on Friday.

The Eagles (7-4-1) pressured early with a pair of corner kicks in the opening minute but failed to convert on both. Rosewood didn't record a shot on goal in the first half and seemed to lack the same intensity it displayed in playing the Chargers to a scoreless tie just weeks earlier.

"I think we only had two or three scoring chances," Eagles head coach Eddie Maldonado said. "We just couldn't generate any type of offense. I could just kind of tell once we got out here the girls weren't going to have a good game today.

"We kind of had a light practice on Tuesday so maybe it was my fault."

After the Chargers had a shot clang off the crossbar in the 13th minute, Martell's blast two minutes later bounced off Rosewood keeper Taylor Johnson's outstretched hand and into the goal for a 1-0 lead.

Wayne Country Day just missed extending its lead to 2-0 moments later as another shot found the cross bar. The Chargers held an 8-0 shots on goal advantage in the first half and led 1-0 after 40 minutes.

Rosewood tallied its first shot on goal in the 46th minute but finished the game with just two. While scoring opportunities were few and far between for the Eagles, those that did arise were consistently negated by Wayne Country Day's solid defensive play.

"My defense is rock solid," WCDS coach Baron Heinemann said. "They're unbelievable. They're the best defense that I've had since I've been here. Shelle Anderson, our defensive captain played an outstanding game."

Virginia Best found Ford who tucked a shot into the top right corner in the 70th minute to put Rosewood away.

"I thought maybe if we could keep it to one goal then we might be lucky enough to sneak one in," Maldonado said. "When they put that second one in the girls heads just dropped. That just took everything out of us."

Johnson recorded 14 saves for the Eagles.

WCDS puts its perfect 3-0 CPIC worksheet on the line against Kerr-Vance. The Spartans lost to Faith Christian of Rocky Mount on Tuesday.

"This was definitely a game that helps us prepare because it was very physical," Heinemann said. "Friday is one we've got to take very, very seriously. If we play the game I know we're capable of I'm confident we can win."