For the second straight game, Carson High’s girls soccer team dominated the action but barely won the match.
The Senators outshot Spanish Springs by a 14-6 margin, but escaped with a narrow 2-1 victory at the Jim Frank Track & Field Complex Tuesday night.
The winning goal turned out to be an own goal in the 72nd minute when Lauren Hudak’s hard shot deflected off a Spanish Springs defender and past the goalie which gave Carson a 2-0 lead.
Five minutes later, Spanish Springs scored on a through ball to make it 2-1, as CHS had a breakdown on defense.
“We created a lot of opportunities,” CHS coach Greg Lehman said.
“We had a lot of good opportunities and didn’t finish. Sometimes we didn’t read the far post cross (correctly).”
Whether it was a mental mistake or lack of hustle, it happened, and it’s not good.
Simply put, Carson suffered through a 2015 season of not finishing plays, and it will come back to bite them against better teams like Douglas and Bishop Manogue.
“That first half we had 10 or 15 good opportunities,” said Mallory Otto. “It ended up perfect, though.”
Some of Carson’s best opportunities and best chances were when the Senators failed to get shots off. Way too often passes would go sailing through the penalty box area untouched.
Yanitzia Galvin missed a wide-open look from 10 yards out in the third minute, and Lauren Hudak had a shot blocked.
Carson’s defensive line of Valerie Sue Meyer, Hailey Palotas. Molly Otto and Brynn Lehman didn’t allow a shot on goal until the last three minutes of the half.
The game remained scoreless until the 67th minute when Mallory Otto scored for the second straight game, beating Spanish Springs keeper Jayce Grider.
“Yanitzia passed the ball between two of their defenders and that left me 1 on 1 with the keeper,” Otto said.
“We need to work on finishing.”
Carson made it 2-0 on the own goal, but Spanish Springs made the hometown crowd sweat with a goal in the 78th minute.
“They played a good diagonal through ball,” Lehman said. “We were pushed up too close.”
Carson returns to action Saturday at Reed.
• The Senators’ JV squad dropped a 2-0 decision to Spanish Springs.