SUBMITTED PHOTO
To coin a phrase, the South Ripley Lady Raider senior soccer players “find their backs against the wall.” Pictured from left are Hayley Fossett (goalie 99), Kyanna Clippert (2), Casey Lovins (4), Marcela Foster (6), Emily Cumberworth (8), Halie Brison (9), Kelsey Cumberworth (12), and Emily Forwalt (20).
By Gary Franklin
SPORTS EDITOR
The South Ripley Lady Raider Varsity Soccer team ended their season with the best record in the school’s history with the sport at 8-7-2. The senior leadership had much to do with the plateau they reached, but they will be first to tell you that input of solid underclassmen put the team over the top.
South Ripley Lady Raider final sectional game summary
The varsity soccer team found extended season hopes denied, as they faced the Lawrenceburg Lady Tigers, ranked fourth in the state, in second round sectional action on Thursday night, October 10.
The Lady Raider defensive efforts were effective enough to hold off the Lady Tigers scoring attempts just short of the first 30 minutes of the first half of the game; however, with the Lady Raider defense constantly pressured, the attacking Lady Tigers scored a goal at the 12:22 mark in the half.
Lawrenceburg added two more scores before the horn ending the first half sounded to take a 3-0 at halftime.
As second half action began, an even more determined Lady Raider team took the field. SR scored a goal in the first 10 minutes, at 30:57.
Scoring was the result of a hard shot by Emily Cumberworth that was deflected by the goalie resulting in Carah Beck answering the call with a goal.
South Ripley defenders kept the Tigers from scoring over the entire second half of the game, but the three first half goals would be enough to get the job done.
Responding well, Lady Raider goalie Hayley Fossett had her work cut out for her, as she had 22 saves in the game.
The fourth ranked Lady Tiger team launched a total of 60 shots with only 23 being on goal, while South Ripley managed to get off only three shots, two being on goal in the whole game.
The Lady Raider team, met with the 1-3 loss knowing they had played their final game like winners.
SR Lady Raiders top Lady Shiners 3-0 in sectional opening round
The South Ripley Lady Raider varsity soccer team found their opening round of the IHSAA Girls Soccer Sectional #45, hosted by Lawrenceburg HS, against the Rising Sun Lady Shiners.
Action for them began on Tuesday evening, October 8, in the second game of the opening night.
Neither team managed to connect for a score over the opening half of play, and SR was trying to defeat the Shiners for the third time in the season.
During first half action, the Lady Raiders launched 15 shots, eight on goal, while the Lady Shiners took six shots with two on goal.
Scoreless at Halftime
Over the second half, at the 32:50 mark, senior Emily Cumberworth found the net off a defensive pass from senior teammate Emily Forwalt to take the 1-0 lead.
Four minutes later, Cumberworth added another score, this one on a nice cross from Carah Beck for a 2-0 edge.
The final goal of the game came unassisted at 11:09 from Kyana Clippert on a nice 25-foot shot that cleared the goalie’s outstretched arms just under the top cross bars screaming into the back of the net.
South Ripley had added 11 more shots with eight on goal in the second half, while the Lady Shiners took nine shots with three on goal.
South Ripley ended the game with a 3-0 shutout victory and the opportunity to advance to sectional round two action.