GIRLS SOCCER: Waynesboro wins SVD

STUARTS DRAFT — In a tiebreaker for the Southern Valley District title, Waynesboro led from beginning to end, dominating the Lee Ladies 5-1 on Friday night.

Waynesboro’s huge output can be held in large part to the performance of sophomore captain Ali Zook.

Zook notched her first career hat trick in one of the biggest games of her career to date.

“I’m really excited,” Zook laughed with a huge smile on her face. “We worked really hard this week so I was proud to show that it paid off.”

Slightly over twelve minutes into the game, Zook gave the Little Giants the first goal off a crossing assist from Kalee Robinson.

“Ever since we made an adjustment a few games into the district season the girls have been a force to be reckoned with,” Waynesboro coach Dani Almarode said. “Offensively they click, they pass, and their shooting is very good.”

Zook’s shooting was dead on ten minutes later when a foul set up a free kick from just outside the box. Zook was true, placing the shot over the defensive wall and keeper right into the corner of the net.

The final goal for the captain came just into the start of the second half as Lee began to lock down Waynesboro.

“Unfortunately we had a couple of starters at the district track meet that didn’t get here until about ten minutes left in the first half,” Lee coach Andrew Green said. “That is about the time that we started to come back.”

The Lee Ladies would only come back so far as Little Giant keeper Kate Garber was a force between the pipes.

Garber hauled in nine saves in the game while just letting one shot get past her.

“This is the best that I have seen her play in her career,” Almarode said. “She played a great game tonight and the only goal that got past her was the penalty kick. She even got her hands on that and was diving all over the field.”

Lee’s one goal to ruin the shutout was on a penalty kick.

Willa Grefe was tackled in the box setting up a scoring attempt down two goals.

Grefe’s kick was to her right but Garber made the right move diving for the ball. Her hands brushed the ball disrupting the path enough for it to ricochet off of the side post where it bounced into the goal.

“She played a really good game,” Green commended Garber. “She kept them in it. She made a really good play on a lot of balls.”

Bree Simonsen and Kelsey Clark added the other two Little Giant goals.

“I’m so proud of every one of them,” Zook stated. “They all stepped up. We worked so hard this week. I really hope we can keep it up.”

The captain and her keeper will lead the Little Giants Tuesday in the Southern Valley district tournament, as they will host Stuarts Draft.

Lee is looking forward to hosting Fort Defiance on the same day.

“They are a good team. We split with them in the regular season,” Green added. “We really want to face Waynesboro again Thursday.”