Anthony Mori/Elko Daily Free Press
Fallon’s Franny Mori drives up the field against Spring Creek on Wednesday.
By Anthony Mori Elko Daily Free Press
Wednesday, March 17, 2021
SPRING CREEK — For 56 minutes, the Spring Creek and Fallon girls soccer teams played a scoreless draw.
However, the Lady Spartans got back to basics — simplifying the game with fundamentals — and flurried with three second-half goals on their senior day, which they dedicated to the late Ethan Lulay, a Spring Creek High
School Class of 2020 graduate.
Fallon scored a goal late from a bad Spring Creek pass, but the Lady Spartans improved to 3-0 on the season with a 3-1 victory.
Fallon traveled to Fernley on Monday but will host Lowry on Friday at 2 p.m. before traveling to Elko on Saturday.
Spring Creek found an early opportunity on a foul just beyond the 18-yard box, but the free kick by junior Shyann Lamb flew wide to the right.
Fallon’s first chance to score came from a corner kick, but the ball deflected off numerous bodies and was eventually cleared by the Lady Spartans’ defense.
The Lady Spartans pushed the ball down the field with a nice pass from senior Hailee Dixon, but the recipient was unable to keep the ball inbounds and dribbled it beyond the end line.
Junior Myah Baisley found an opportunity ahead of the pack but missed a chip shot and — on the other end — Fallon nearly took the lead with the game’s first goal on the left wing, Spring Creek senior goalie Betsy Fellows advancing forward and blocking the ball directly off the foot off senior forward Bianca Lopez.
For the Lady Spartans, a shot from junior Riley Moon missed wide to the left.
The Lady Greenwave pressured the box and attacked the middle, but Spring Creek survived multiple deflections and eventually cleared the ball.
Lamb missed wide to the left just beyond the midway point of the half.
For much of the half, Spring Creek made things difficult for itself and attempted everything from distance — both on shots and with its passes — either shooting from well beyond the box or trying to send long balls to teammates.
Fallon junior Lillian Howard turned and squared her shoulders from the middle of the field, but her kick was sent over the top of the crossbar.
Near the end of the half, the Lady Spartans made a nice play on a diagonal kick from Lamb to Baisley but her shot missed wide to the right — as did a boot from Lamb on a free kick.
At the break, the game was knotted at zeros.
Spring Creek played short, simple passes to start the second half and immediately found more scoring opportunities — Fallon’s keeper notching multiple saves on shots by Lamb and Moon and a thumped ball in the box by Baisley on a cross pass from the corner.
The Lady Greenwave earned a corner kick, but the ball was sent directly into the side of the net.
Sophomore Avery Beatty dribbled through multiple defenders and rolled a ball on the ground that was cooped up by Fallon’s keeper.
Fallon came extremely close to taking the lead, as freshman Zoe Jarrett came clean ahead of the pack on the left side — her kick tipped over the end line by a diving save from Fellows.
However, Spring Creek actually converted.
Sophomore Arena McDermott — generally a defender — won possession of the ball on the right side and turned a takeaway into an attack.
She dribbled down the sideline and crossed a pass back into the box to Moon, who deflected the ball to the opposite wing to Baisley.
Baisley poked the ball around the goalie and into the lower-left side of the frame for a 1-0 lead.
Fallon nearly curled a corner kick in, but the ball was sent narrowly over the top of the crossbar.
Spring Creek senior Harper Wines took a shot from the right wing that was saved, but the Lady Spartans earned a corner kick moments later — one that changed the contest completely.
Fallon’s deficit doubled as Lamb bent the shot around the post, Fallon’s keeper getting her hands on the ball but deflecting it back into the Lady Greenwave’s goal for a 2-0 Spring Creek lead in the 61st minute.
In the 63rd minute, the outcome was essentially sealed — Lamb winning a ball in the middle of the pitch and sending a diagonal pass to junior Payge Walz on the left side.
After a couple touches on the run, Walz roped a line-drive rocket for a net cutter and a 3-0 advantage.
Fallon’s Shaelyn Snodgrass took a shot on the other end, but her kick from the right wing trickled across the field and missed wide to the left.
After a corner kick, the Lady Wave notched their goal — junior Sidney Jarrett stealing a bad Spring Creek pass and sending the ball across the field to Zoe Jarrett on the left side.
Her kick beat Spring Creek’s keeper to the goalie’s left, the Lady Spartans allowing their first goal of the season to an opponent in three games.
The Lady Spartans attempted 13 shots and allowed Fallon to launch eight attempts.
“I think we probably took more shots than that, somewhere around 20,” said Spring Creek coach Kami Crowe.
“Once we settled down, everything came easier. We were just passing long balls and working too hard in the first half. Keep it simple. That worked really well for us in the second half.”
Fellows finished with six saves for the Lady Spartans, Fallon’s keeper credited with 11 stops.
Fallon boys fall to Spring Creek
The Greenwave boys soccer team dropped a 4-3 contest to the Spartans in Fallon on Wednesday.
Yahir Ugalde scored twice for Fallon and Caleb Proffen added the third goal.
“The athletes are working as a team and coming together,” Fallon coach David Lopez said. “I feel like we are now competing, which the program really needed. If we can keep playing as a team, we will hopefully turn the tables.”
Fallon traveled to Fernley on Monday and will be at Lowry on Friday before returning home to face Elko on Saturday at 11:45 a.m.
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