by Caitlin Fletcher, photos by Jordan Allen
The STA varsity soccer team defeated Liberty North 10-0 Apr. 18. This game stood out when the STA varsity team competed against both Liberty North’s JV and varsity teams.
“I guess [Liberty North’s] athletic director didn’t communicate with their coach and the coach thought that JV was playing first and varsity second,” sophomore Caroline Strader said. “So when we started the game, we played our varsity team and they played their JV team. Nobody realized until halftime when the score was 9-0 us.”
Throughout the first half STA was in possession of the ball the majority of the time and Liberty North had not had a single shot on goal.
“The only time I touched the ball in the first half was when my own teammate passed it back to me, and I passed it to someone else with my feet,” senior goalie Janie Thompson said. “The second half I ran out of the box to clear a ball with my feet one time, and I was standing at least at the top of the 18 yard box the entire game. So no, they did not even have one shot on goal.”
Although the first half of the game was less challenging, according to Thompson, the second half picked up the pace.
“The second half their varsity team seemed to pack in and try to defend against us for as long as possible,” Thompson said.
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Liberty North was hoping to play a whole game against the STA varsity team, but the rules prohibited restarting the game.
“They wanted to restart the whole game but there is a state rule that says you have to finish the game,” Strader said. “So, the score stayed at 9-0 and they put their varsity team on the field for the second half. Then we scored the tenth goal and the game ended.”
According to Strader, while STA maintained possession almost throughout the entirety of the first half, the second half was more like one of their usual games.
“We had a lot more pressure on our backs [than in the first half],” Strader said.
The fans sitting in the stands had not ever heard of anything like this happening.
“Many of the people who were there to watch the game said that they had never heard of anything like this happening before,” Strader said.
While the situation was strange, it still ended with a 10-0 victory for the Stars over Liberty North.
