Kirtland’s girls’ soccer team opened the 2017 with high expectations and a front-loaded schedule that tested the Hornets early and often.
After opening the season with a tie at Willoughby South, the Hornets went on to lose their next three games but after Monday’s 3-0 nonconference win at Riverside, the team has won three straight to even its record at 3-3-1.
“The first few games we played were Division I and II schools, so not only did it scare me, but I think the team may have been a bit reluctant,” said Hannah Vouk, who had two assists on Monday. “I can’t lie, those schools that we played like NDCL and Kenston gave us constant pressure on our backs. After we adapted to this really rough style of play and adapted to our positions more, we came together and learned that we need to be the team to apply pressure.”
Kirtland and Riverside were scoreless at halftime but the Hornets picked up the intensity in the second half.
Lauren Lutz headed in a Jenna Sayle corner kick to give the Hornets a 1-0 lead.
“It was really pretty exciting,” Lutz said of her first goal of the season. “It was a great ball from Jenna off the corner and I just finished it on the back side. The play before was another corner kicked by Jenna and I headed it but the goalie tipped it away, so I really wanted that next play to be a goal.”
Vouk then crossed a ball in to Liz Vernon who one-touched it into the goal and Maya Zovko finished off a through ball from Vouk to close out the scoring.
For Vouk, who scored 26 goals in her first three seasons with the Hornets, a position change has cut down on her scoring opportunities, but she’s helping the team in other ways. She is now tied with Sayle for the team lead in assists with three.
“(Coach) Bradac has been playing me as a midfield and as an attacker up top,” Vouk said. “Being a forward, I get many more scoring opportunities, but I know that losing the ball is worse than passing up a chance for someone else. I like to distribute the ball more, than putting it in the back of the net. I get 10 times the amount of chances to have an assist in the game rather than a goal. In the end, team goals add up quicker and amount to more. Being a midfield, Lilia (Valentic) and I, or Lauren and I, need to work together and combine our field vision. Personally, this role makes me more comfortable because I know someone is seeing the same thing I see.”
Kirtland travels to Geneva on Thursday.
