Giants blank Lee in delayed opener

Waynesboro’s Taylor Sayre scored two goals and keeper Kate Garber didn’t allow a ball to reach the back of the net, leading the Little Giants to an early Southern Valley District win over Robert E. Lee. The Little Giants took the frigid contest 2-0.

“Well, we played wonderful and it is awesome to win,” Sayre said.

Sayre scored her first goal just six minutes into the match, heading it off with an assist by Vicki Andersen. Sayre struck again early in the second half, knocking the ball past the Lee Ladies’ keeper off an assist from Ali Zook.

“I don’t want to take all the credit, it’s not all me,” Sayre said. “It’s the team passing the ball, it’s just a random opportunity.”

Tuesday’s match up marked the first contest for both teams after snow and rain stalled the start of the season last week. Even though the match was a heated district contest, Sayre said the team didn’t feel too much added pressure, but approached it like any other game.

In addition to the game being the team’s first time on the pitch, it was also it’s coach’s first time on the sidelines. Long-time assistant coach Dani Almarode took over the Little Giants’ varsity program this season, replacing Robin Hersey — who is at the helm of the JV team.

Almarode brushed off her involvement with Tuesday’s win.

“I would like to say it was my doing, but it wasn’t,” she said. “They showed up to play and I’m mainly in a support role, but I’m smiling.”

Almarode said that she would have liked for her team to have a little more practice before Tuesday’s game, but praised the players’ ability to adapt.

“It was nerve racking,” Almarode said. “We had one scrimmage so going into to this game, we had confidence but it would have been nice to have a little more practice. We’ve been indoors a lot too but they adjusted well.”

Last season the Little Giants struggled early in matches, but Almarode said the team had begun to correct itself.

“Last year we struggled the first 10 minutes of every half,” she said. “Our goal this season was to dominate the first 10 minutes of the half. We scored both goals in the first six minutes of each half.”

Sayre said Tuesday’s win would help the Little Giants’ confidence going into the season.

“This is a boost,” she said. “Lee is a rival, they are an awesome team. It’s just a great confidence boost to beat a team we have always been rivals with.”

The Little Giants (1-0, 1-0 Southern Valley) will be back in action Thursday, hosting Western Albemarle.