Emily Holten’s goal 6 minutes and 50 seconds from time Tuesday spared the Lady Kahoks soccer team its fourth defeat in seven starts and salvaged a 1-1 tie with Triad.
Mikayla McCarthy / Photo by Sherry Holten
The teams played to a scoreless draw for the first 62:30 Tuesday afternoon in Troy until Collinsville (9-5-2) failed to clear the ball deep in its own end. Triad (10-5-1) took advantage of the mistake when the ball found sophomore Brianna Merchant, who knocked home her fourth goal of the season.
The Lady Kahoks responded to the goal by getting the better of the play for the first time since the opening 20 minutes. Collinsville created several chances on goal, the best coming on a bomb from Sophia Sharos that forced goalkeeper Skye Clark to dive to her right to make the save with 11:35 remaining in the game.
The run ended when sophomore Hanna Liljegren hit a cross into the goal box with about 6:50 remaining. A Triad player attempted to clear, but the ball bounced to freshman Emily Holten, who knocked the ball down with her chest and let it drop to her feet.
Holten then settled the ball and chose not to hammer it on goal. Instead, she flicked the ball up and over the head of Clark who watched helplessly as it bounced to the back of the net, drawing Collinsville even.
The Knights resumed domination of possession for the final 6:45, but could not push home a game winner.
Collinsville Head Coach Clay Smith said his team got a better result than they earned.
“We were very fortunate to get the tie, we don’t deserve it, but we’ll take it and move on,” Smith said.
The Kahoks have not had many games this the season in which they played focused the entire match, Smith said. The uneven play has Collinsville with a 3-3-1 record in its last seven matches.
“It’s irritating because we’re just getting outplayed at this point,” Smith said. “We’re better than this, and this is all on us. We have two weeks to figure it out before the real season starts.”
Region play begins May 20. Collinsville next plays at 6 p.m. Thursday at Breese Mater Dei.
