The Bison girls soccer team got their first clean sheet of the year beating Cornerstone Christian Academy 6-0 on Tuesday, Sept. 5.  

The first 27 minutes of the game consisted of intense scoreless play. 

That all changed when freshman midfielder Marley Readance scored off of a corner kick assisted by Co-Captain Lilah Droe.

“I had made a run, and I really just had to get a foot on it and lock my ankle, and it went in,” Readance said. 

Readance explained that the team has been struggling to open games with dominant energy to score early and set the tone for the rest of the game.

“I was relieved that we got to score early in the game to get us ahead,” she said.

Senior Kylie Walters, who has stood out as a leader all season, did more than any other player to defeat Cornerstone Christian. 

“It felt great to help the team get a victory,” Walters said. “All our hard work in practice is starting to pay off on the field, and it’s nice to start seeing results.”

Walters was named athlete of the week only hours before the Sept. 5 game. Walters was able to score a hatrick (3 goals) against Cornerstone Christian in order to help the Bison take victory. Walters said the recognition as athlete of the week helped her focus and stay motivated.

“It was an honor to be named athlete of the week,” Walters said. “It inspired me to come out in this game more aggressive.” 

“I’m happy I was able to live up to the expectations my coaches and myself set for me,”  she added.

Walters was named athlete of the week because she has scored every game except for one. 

She is not only a phenomenal soccer player, but she is a track star as well. Walters often uses her track skills, speed and agility as an advantage for scoring and attacking the goal. 

Walters’ athleticism gives her confidence and allows her to score and outrun her opponents. This advantage was critical in the Cornerstone Christian game.

“I was confident that if I used my speed and my aggressiveness to my advantage, their defense wouldn’t be able to beat me,” Walters said. “So with this in mind, every time I got the ball I just tried to attack the goal.” 

“I without a doubt use my track training to my advantage when it comes to attacking,” she added. “My speed is my main tactic that I use to score, and without my knowledge and experiences from track I wouldn’t be as effective.”

Readance, who scored the first goal against the Patriots, has had a very important role on the Bison girls soccer team. Although she may be a freshman, she feels that older players have taken her under their wing. 

“There are a lot of upperclassmen on the team that I get to look up to, and they have really eased the transition, and it’s a lot of fun to contribute to the team’s success as a freshman,” she said.

Junior  Hannah Yakubov feels the underclassmen have surpassed expectations. 

“Our team’s underclassman starters have truly fit and risen above the team’s expectations,” she said.  “I feel a sense of pride and accomplishment for them for making such a difference on our team as underclassmen and helping us win.”

According to Yakubov, their team as a whole is doing much better now that the underclassmen have settled into their roles as well as matured enough to be able to compete at a higher level. 

“I believe that my underclassman teammates are maturing at an impressive rate to succeed at the varsity level because they’re already doing so well , and they’re only getting better, and I can see the improvement.”

Another underclassmen who has contributed to the team’s success is Sophomore  Co-Captain Lilah Droe. Droe explained that  it was nerve wracking at first playing varsity, but she was able to step up and fill a huge role for the team.

“It feels good to know I am needed and that playing soccer for so many years paid off,” she said. 

At publication, the Lady Bison are 5-4. They defeated Jefferson 5-0 last night and are scheduled to play them again at home on Thursday.