WORTHINGTON -- Worthington's girls' soccer team dropped its third game in a row Tuesday, falling to Albert Lea 3-1 at Trojan Field.
Albert Lea dominated the second half to move to 3-2 overall and Worthington dropped to 1-4 on the season.
"I think we started out really strong, putting it to them, and we had some chances at the beginning, but we just couldn't finish them," WHS coach Emily Ahlquist said. "I think if we would have finished those chances, it would have been a different game."
In the first minute of the game, WHS midfielder Whitney Coriolan had a prime scoring chance in the middle of the box, but fired the ball right into the chest of Albert Lea goalie Hanna DeVries.
With 23:44 remaining in the first half Albert Lea had an opportunity to open up the scoring when a ball bounced off the crossbar to the head of a Tiger forward. WHS goalie Alivia Rowley, however, kept the game scoreless with a save of her own.
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Albert Lea would strike first when Gretta Johnson sent a ball in the back of the net off a perfect corner kick from Anna Anderson that pierced through the Trojan defense to make it 1-0.
Lydia Kemper nearly tied the game on a free kick with just under five minutes remaining in the first half, but it went wide right.
The ball never seemed to leave the Trojan side in the second half, as Albert Lea kept punching at the net. Johnson found the back of the net again, this time on a corner kick from Grace Gjersvik seven minutes into the second half to make it 2-0 Tigers.
Sarah Savelkoul made it 3-0 Albert Lea when she sent a loose ball in the box into the back of the net.
"We started having a hard time clearing the balls," Ahlquist said. "All of their goals were either on crosses that they hit in or from bobbling it in the middle and we couldn't clear it."
Worthington made it 3-1 with just over four minutes remaining in the game when Ana Castillo sent a cross to a wide open Dayana Fuentes-Martinez, who fired into the open net. Castillo nearly made it a one-goal contest when she got behind the defense with 1:58 remaining in the game, but fired wide right.
"We definitely need to work on clearing some balls and using our outside mids more," Ahlquist said. "When we passed it in that's when we got our goal. Unfortunately, we figured it out a little too late."
Worthington was outshot 17-9 in the game. The Trojans will try to end their losing streak Thursday when they host Sioux Falls Christian.
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"I think if we utilize our outside mids more and work on our control, we will put it together," Ahlquist said.
AL 1 2 -- 3
WHS 0 1 -- 1
Daily Globe Sports Editor Chris Murphy may be reached at 376-7328.
