The First Loss of the Season

The Varsity Girls Soccer Match Against Florida High

Photo by Andrew Berenson/Maclay Andalusian

The battle between two undefeated teams on Tuesday, Nov. 14, ultimately ended with the Marauders losing 4-1. The team started the season off hot, outscoring their opponents 6-0 in two matches, but came to an abrupt end Tuesday night. The Marauders have had great successes against Florida High in the past but were unable to win in their third game of the season. Since 2015, the Marauders have lost to Florida High once, and they are 12-1-3 in their past 16 matches before Tuesday night. 

Florida High took an early lead against Maclay with a score of 1-0. The Marauders were not able to bounce back offensively. The team’s poor start to the game got much worse as Florida High had a penalty to extend their lead. However, freshman Camille Lillie made an incredible save, but the deflection bounced directly in front of a Seminoles player and tapped in the goal. The Marauders’ 2-0 deficit quickly became 2-1 after freshman Maggie Bragg responded with a goal. Maclay's defense continued to struggle in the first half as they allowed yet another goal to pass through, making the score 3-1 heading into the half. 

“Even though we were losing, we still had our heads up and we felt motivated to keep pushing,” senior captain Lawre Bradley May said.

However, the second half was no different than the first as the Marauders could not put together a strong attack. With the offense struggling, the defense was on their toes and Florida High’s fourth goal would put a nail in the coffin. The Marauders lost their first game of the season 4-1. 

The Marauders are looking to flip the page after their difficult loss. They want to work on improving their communication and adapting to their new formation. 

“We need to work better on getting back for defense and helping support people up top,” senior Olivia Bishop said. “We are starting a new formation and we are still trying to figure it out.”

During practice in the upcoming weeks, the team wants to improve their stamina. The Marauders became fatigued during the second half leading to costly mistakes which ultimately led to their loss.

“We got tired, and they could pass around us too easily,” May said. “We need to work on our combination passes.”

The Marauders are putting their loss behind them and preparing for their next match, and they are looking to get back on the winning streak against Lincoln on Thursday, Nov. 16.