April 16, 2024

Titan offense too much for Panthers

By RYAN KRONBERG

CNA photo by RYAN KRONBERG Creston freshman Kara Kinsella dribbles the ball up the field during the first half of Tuesday’s Hawkeye 10 Conference girls soccer match against Lewis Central in Creston. (CNA photo)

Lewis Central’s Grace Guidry and other Titans found room to roam in front of the Creston net during Tuesday’s Hawkeye 10 Conference girls soccer match.

Godfrey and company took advantage of the space given to them.

Godfrey had five goals as the Class 2A third-ranked Titans routed the Panthers 10-0 in approximately 50 minutes.

The Panthers were a step slower than the Titans throughout.

“The ball is moving fast and they know it’s going to move fast,” said Creston coach Kim Lauffer.

Creston tried to adjust, but struggled to do so effectively.

“Instead of compensating for the quickness and starting to man up, they were trying to compensate for people who were trying to rip shots, which then saturates the area and no one can see what’s going on, then they just keep sending it back to be passed back in over and over again and it ends the way it did,” Lauffer said.

Lewis Central’s front line players moved the ball around rapidly, leaving Creston defenders chasing the ball, without much success.

“It was tough for them to slow it down,” Lauffer said. “The reason it was tough for them as they were advised if they’re poking it through, then we need to start manning up. Instead of manning up, they just kept trying to cover space and were leaving people wide open over and over and over again.”

Guidry and company took advantage regularly.

Caitlyn Hanafan started the scoring with a goal in the sixth minute. Suzie McDonald tallied the next Titans goal in the eighth minute.

Guidry then caught on fire. In the 13th minute, she struck for the first time. In the 24th minute, Guidry struck again to make it 4-0.

Guidry connected again in the 25th minute to make it 5-0.

Malena Beezley tallied a goal a few minutes later, then Jaedyn Mack put one in the back of the net in the 35th minute. Lewis Central led 7-0 at halftime.

Guidry kept right on shooting and scoring, tallying her fourth goal in the 43rd minute. She pushed goal number five home in the 48th minute.

The game ended when Creston’s defense misplayed a clearing attempt and the ball ended up in the back of the Panthers net for an own goal.

UP NEXT — Creston (1-6, 1-4) is at Riverside Friday.

No stats were immediately available