After falling to Indian Creek by a score of 8-0 roughly two weeks ago, Lady Hubs varsity soccer coach Chris Blevins said he would be making some lineup adjustments to move players around the field and generate more positive momentum.
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ROCHELLE — After falling to Indian Creek by a score of 8-0 roughly two weeks ago, Lady Hubs varsity soccer coach Chris Blevins said he would be making some lineup adjustments to move players around the field and generate more positive momentum. Those changes were quite evident when the Rochelle girls faced Hinckley-Big Rock in nonconference play on Wednesday.
The Lady Hubs jumped on Hinckley-Big Rock early in the game, and although the Royals fought back with three unanswered goals to take the lead, Rochelle rebounded with an answer of its own before the game ended in a 4-4 draw. While the Lady Hubs didn’t walk away with a win, the tie snaps Rochelle’s three-game losing streak. Rochelle is now 1-4-1 overall.
“We’ve been working really hard on our passing and working the outsides of the field,” Blevins said. “Our forwards were crashing the goals and our defenders did a much better job holding their lines. It was really fun to watch the kids put forward what we’ve been doing in practice and we’re really seeing the kids come together and build trust in each other.”
Rochelle pressured the Royals early on, with junior midfielder Sarah Craven (7’) tapping in a corner kick from freshman midfielder Vianey Perusquia that snuck through a crowded Hinckley-Big Rock penalty box to give the Lady Hubs a 1-0 advantage. The Royals (14’) evened the score with a goal of their own, but the Lady Hubs jumped ahead once again when junior midfielder Olivia Piloni (19’) belted a deflected ball through the middle of the Hinckley-Big Rock defense and into the net.
“We wanted to pair Sarah and Olivia,” Blevins said. “Olivia and Sarah work really well together, and with Vianey and Olivia in the middle, we seem to be controlling the ball much better.”
Rochelle took a 3-1 lead after senior forward Brittany Brown (28’) received a pass from Craven and converted her first goal of the season from the right side of the Hinckley-Big Rock penalty box. The Royals added one more goal (36’) before halftime, but the Lady Hubs remained ahead 3-2.
Hinckley-Big Rock quickly turned the tables on Rochelle in the second half, however, as the Royals (41’) beat the Lady Hubs off the defensive line after a soaring kick from the Hinckley-Big Rock zone to even the score once again 3-3. A foul inside the Rochelle penalty box minutes later gave the Royals their first penalty kick of the game, and Hinckley-Big Rock converted (57’) for its first lead of the game at 4-3.
“We have to make sure our defenders are reading the ball,” Blevins said. “We’re waiting to get off the line when the ball comes through and Hinckley-Big Rock beat us to the ball. We have to make sure we’re getting back in time and we’re preventing them from turning so they can’t get set.”
Looking to apply the pressure back onto Hinckley-Big Rock, the Lady Hubs turned to their midfielders to move the ball forward and create chances to score. Piloni put two shots on goal, and senior midfielder Rhylie Erdman earned one corner kick before Craven intercepted a goal kick from Hinckley-Big Rock and lofted the ball over the Royal goalkeeper (69’) to tie the game.