WHS GIRLS' SOCCER: WHS snaps losing streak with 2-1 win

WORTHINGTON — The losing streak is no more for Worthington’s girls’ soccer team, as the Trojans knocked off Sioux Falls Christian 2-1 Thursday at Trojan Field, after suffering through a three-game losing streak.

“We only got five connecting passes all game before we passed it away or gave it away and that is something we need to work on, but we pulled it off enough to get the win,” WHS coach Emily Ahlquist said. “We wanted to use our outside midfielders to make crosses and we had some beautiful crosses today, which gave us opportunities at goal and Ana (Castillo) and Alina (Keodouangsy) wanted it bad and they got opportunities to do it.”

A little under 17 minutes into the first half, WHS (2-4) midfielder Whitney Coriolan found Ana Castillo 45 yards away from the goal. Castillo popped the ball over the defender, sprinted toward the net and fired the ball off the hands of the SFC goaltender and the ball trickled into the back of the net to make it 1-0.

“We’ve been practicing passing where our positions are, so I just passed where Ana was supposed to be and she was there,” Coriolan said. “We wanted to end the losing streak.

“The season is young, so we decided to change our ways. Hopefully we can start a new streak.”

Castillo had a pretty simple explanation for the goal.

“I controlled it and just drove it in,” Castillo said.

Three minutes later, SFC tied the game up when Lauren Alpers fired on net from 23 yards out.

Alina Keodouangsy seeminlgy gave WHS a 2-1 lead when she beat an SFC defender to a ball behind the Chargers defense and blasted the ball into the back of the net from 24 yards out, but, according to the ref, she was offisides and the goal was taken back.

The Trojans came out firing in the second half, as Lydia Kemper put two shots on goal and Castillo added another in the first five minutes of the second half.

Less than eight minutes into the second half, Keodouangsy sent a floater just above the outstretched hands of the SFC goalie and into the back of the net to make it 2-1 Trojans. With blue jerseys in front of her, there was no confusion regarding offsides on this goal.

“The ball was in the air and everyone was yelling at me to kick it, but I controlled it, settled it down and just put it in,” Keodouangsy said. “It feels good since I started off at midfield and the one game I play forward I scored.

“I think that our team will keep improving and take this game as something to learn from. I think our team will be better from this day on.”

The Trojans had things on cruise control until the final 12 minutes. Twice Alpers seemingly had the back of the net locked up with the tying ball, but WHS goalie Alivia Rowley had other plans, punching both attempts away and keeping the score set at 2-1.

“It was one of those things where I knew how to react for it, didn’t think and just went for it,” Rowley said. “I wanted to win.

“I’m tired of losing.”

The Trojans will look to start a winning streak when they host Fairmont Monday.

SFC 1 0 — 1

WHS 1 1 — 2

Daily Globe Sports Editor Chris Murphy may be reached at 376-7328.

Tags: sports, prep, trojans, soccer