DJ Lindquist | Echo
The Taylor women's soccer team opened up Crossroads League Tournament play Saturday with a 3-0 win against No. 4 seed Marian.
Freshman Megan Kammer scored the first goal for the Trojans with an accurate long-distance shot. The Trojans didn't stop there, with two more goals coming from junior Emily Brydon and senior Dani Goecke. The game ended with sweet revenge: Marian beat Taylor earlier in the season on its home turf.
With a win at Marian, the Trojans move on to the conference tournament semifinals, where they will face Spring Arbor. The No. 7 team has ousted the Trojans before and is known to be a very formidable opponent.
"They are a very tough team to beat because they will capitalize on every big mistake you make," head coach Scott Stan said.
Although Spring Arbor poses a threat to end the Trojans' season, coach Stan believes that his team has the talent to beat them.
"The challenge will be overcoming the mental part of the game," Stan said. "Once they score the first goal, our girls lose confidence, which allows Spring Arbor to extend their lead."
The Trojans know they will have to play their best game in order to beat Spring Arbor and look to score the first goal as a confidence booster.
Another key to the game will be generating scoring chances without relying on one player.
In the loss to Spring Arbor earlier in the year, the Trojans struggled offensively. With forwards Dani Goecke and sophomore Shelbi Lowe injured, the offense was not at full strength during the teams' last meeting. Although the injuries were detrimental to Taylor's offensive production, it allowed the freshmen to establish their place in the offense.
"We have some very talented freshmen this year and are pleased with their offensive skill and ability to score. I cannot describe how much value they bring to this team," Stan said.
The semifinal match against Spring Arbor will be played at 3 p.m. at Spring Arbor on Saturday.
