Beau Bearden/Ardmolite
26 seconds – That was all the time the Ardmore High School girls soccer team needed to score its first goal Tuesday. Jadyn Swindoll had a hat trick to help lead the Lady Tigers to a 5-0 victory over Del City.
“(The win) was definitely good. Our goal was not to concede, especially in the second half,” Ardmore head coach Alyssa Emery said. “We started out really strong and we tend to go bad sometimes, but the girls held their ground and didn’t concede a goal.”
The defense has definitely stepped up, as goaltender Shiloh Collins emphasized. But Swindoll and the offense made sure Collins didn't have to do anything extra.
“Jaydin is one of our important players,” Emery said. “She is critical to our team's success.”
But Swindal wasn't the only one, Rayanne Roberts and Jaycee Sampson-John each had a goal.
“This year was a different move than in previous years,” Emery said. “Before, we relied on one or two girls. This year, we've definitely developed a lot of chemistry and are working much better as a team as a whole – and one or two girls. We trust each other instead of passing the ball to our players and expecting them to carry the whole team.”
That team mentality should benefit the Lady Tigers, especially as they have shown the ability to use certain games as learning experiences.
“…We just take this opportunity in a game like today to work on some simple things,” Emery said. “Especially in the second half, we knew we were up against a tall keeper, so we worked on simple things like taking shots low and into the corners.
“And even if the girls didn't score as many goals in the second half, they were doing the right thing and doing what I asked them to do,” Emery continued. “So I'm very happy. I'm impressed with their leadership ability. … I have a group of girls that are very easy to coach.”
Ardmore (3-1) will look to continue its strong run with a home game against Bridge Creek on Thursday, March 28 at 5 p.m.
And as the Lady Tigers enter District 4A-1 play, the focus is simple.
“We just have to go into it with the mindset, 'No matter what level the teams are playing, we're going to keep raising the standard,'” Emery said. “Just keep doing the right thing and don't give up. Just don't get caught up in what we think. I'm excited. I can see the girls are really excited. We've got a really good district this year. I think it will happen, so I’m really looking forward to it.”
