Riverheads overcomes Wilson

GREENVILLE – Riverheads’ speed and height gave it the edge over Wilson Memorial in its 3-1 victory on Friday.
Both sides started off slow and sluggish, though the Gladiators controlled the ball on the offensive side throughout most of the first half. The game was looking like the last time the two teams met, which ended in a 2-2 tie after double overtime.
“We needed to come out here and play our game,” Riverheads coach Holmes Tehrani said. “Last time we just weren’t prepared and didn’t play as a team.”
The Gladiators beat the Hornets to the ball every time, in the air or on the ground, but the Hornet defense refused to let them score. Wilson’s goalie barely saw any action in the first half.
“Riverheads is a fine-tuned machine,” Wilson coach Scott Crist said. “This was a hard fought game.”
The match went scoreless up until the first half neared its close when Riverheads’ junior midfielder Courtney Shifflet ran away with the ball. Shifflet’s fancy footwork was no match for the Hornet defense as she layed the ball into the net.
Wilson came out of the break ready for action and some revenge. Early in the second half, Wilson’s Angelica Thacker took off on a long haul heading for the goal. It was two-on-two but Thacker wasn’t about to give up the ball, as she crushed it into the net and tied the score.
“They surprised us with their quick goal,” Tehrani said. “It was a little miscommunication and they took advantage of it, but we kept our composure.”
Riverheads answered back five minutes later with a Lauren Clymore long goal from the far side. The ball hit the top of the goal and bounced back in through Wilson’s goalkeeper Marla Young’s hands.
“I was really proud that our girls came back to tie the game,” Crist said. “About 20 minutes into the second half we just ran out of steam.”
The Gladiators weren’t finished with the Hornets yet. Multiple attempts at the goal had the Hornet defense on their toes and out of breath. With close to five minutes left in the game Riverheads’ Shifflet pounded one right into the corner of the net.
“It seemed like every time we played our passing game, we settled down and would score,” Tehrani said.
Riverheads (12-1-1, 3-0-1) heads to Stonewall Jackson on Monday while Wilson (6-5-1, 2-2-1) hosts Buffalo Gap.
“Stonewall is a good team,” Tehrani said. “They aren’t as good as previous years, but we just have to go into it like any other district game.”
Notes: Wilson’s JV team won its match 5-0 with three goals from Lindsay Suyes and two from Morgan Thomas. Brittany Reid had eight saves in the goal. … The Hornets are undefeated and allowed only three goals the entire season. … They play Buffalo Gap on Tuesday.