After a slow start to the season, Kirtland’s girls’ soccer team has some momentum heading into the middle part of its schedule.
The Hornets opened the season with a tie and three straight losses but have since won two straight, including Thursday’s 3-2 victory over visiting West Geauga.
“We break our season down into fours,” said Kirtland head coach Ed Bradac. “We play 16 games, so I said, ‘Let’s look at the first four games and at that point we’re 1-2-1, and now we go to the next stretch. Now we’re 2-1 and we have played some pretty good competition early on and learned from it. I’m hoping it comes together and it’s starting to.”
Maya Zovko, who scored all four goals in Kirtland’s 4-0 win over Orange a week ago, added two more against West Geauga.
“We were on a slow start and we struggled, but honestly us staying positive and looking for the ways to improve during practice and the game is really helping each and every one of us,” Zovko said. “We are finally finding each other and how we all play and when we do that, we click and we make those good plays happen.”
Lidia Rodin played a free ball up to Zovko to earn an assist on the first goal and a Tea Petric free kick set up the second.
Zovko has now scored six of the Hornets’ nine goals this season.
“My confidence is only getting higher,” she said. “I think this is because my hard work is paying off. I had some high expectations last season and realized that accomplishing those goals came with work. So, after last season I set some goals and have been working ever since and seeing them pay off now is the best feeling. I’m definitely not done yet. I still have a lot to get done. It’s only going up from here for me and this team and I couldn’t be more excited.”
Jenna Sayle scored her first goal of the season off an assist from Liz Vernon, but Rodin again contributed.
“It was just a great effort on Lidia Rodin’s part,” Bradac said. “She got taken out by the goalie and the ball ended up by Jenna’s feet and she buried the shot with her left foot.”
Sayle’s goal gave the Hornets a 3-0 lead.
The Wolverines scored twice in the final 10 minutes but the Hornets weathered the storm to pick up their second win.
“We knew from the start it was going to take some time,” Zovko said. “We’re working now so that we’re ready for those tournament games. We truly are building and I believe this team is going to go far.”
The Hornets travel to Riverside on Monday.
