Fillies tame Tigers, keep wins rolling

CUTHBERT-

At times for this Fillies team it takes a little longer to get up and running early on. But when they finally do, it's like a well-oiled machine. 

In the previous game against Andrew College, ABAC fell behind early, and trailed 1-0 in the game before Katy Hunt tied the game on a penalty kick, and the go ahead goal before half went to Breanna Gomez. ABAC would go on to win by the score of 3-2. 

For this game, it was the same start for the ladies where the attack wasn't there, and the crosses weren't going anywhere as once again the Lady Tigers took an 1-0 advantage at the 19 minute mark as Payton Tullis slid one past Taylor Sorrows. Alexandria Felger set up the goal to Tullis for the assist. 

That would be all the goals scored as the first half came to a close. 

In the Fillies eight regular season games, and two preseason games they have only trailed once at intermission and that was a 4-0 deficit to Darton State. 

When the second half started, ABAC came out with a lot more juice and things seemed to start to gel from the first possession. Although it took just a bit of time to find the first score for the Fillies, Lexi Lloyd recorded her second goal on the year, which netted the score at one apiece. 

Miranda Young, and Lisa Macedo would take the next shots at the goal for the Fillies but the score would remain the same. 

Myesha Robinson had one of many throw-in for the visitors and found Blakeley Bergeron, who passed it Macedo trying to sneak another one in past goalkeeper Sydney Moore who denied them the goal. 

With the score tied now at one and with twenty-two minutes to play, there was a defensive foul that went against the Lady Tigers that set up ABAC at the line to take a penalty kick and to possibly take the lead. Hunt, who came into the game with three, took another shot at the goal and this time she went to the left and the score now went in favor of the visiting Fillies with the score 2-1. 

Again some time would pass as the Fillies held the ball in Andrew territory majority of the second half. 

At the 84 minute mark, ABAC looked to increase their lead by two, as Bergeron went to the penalty line to attempt her try at her eleventh goal on the year. She went right as the goalie went left and now the Fillies led 3-1. 

ABAC would tack on just one more goal three minutes later off a corner kick by Myesha Robinson. Young and Bergeron were ready for the kick and it first found Young, but Bergeron tapped it in off the deflection for the final score of the game. 

With the differences seen in both half played for ABAC, Katie Barton said this after the win, "We weren't playing as a team during the first half against Andrew. Our touch was poor and we weren't playing the ball to our feet. After a couple minutes into the second half, we finally began to play like the great team that we are. We picked up our heads and passed the ball. With scoring our first goal we really pulled ourselves together and played Fillies soccer." 

The Fillies team is now (8-1, 7-1). With the win, ABAC has clinched second in the conference, and is their highest seeding in the history of the program. It's been an exciting year watching these ladies every game, and they could be peaking right when they need to be as the conference tournament is right around the corner.

Barton added, "Our team has worked very hard to get to where we are. We have worked as a team and played to the best of our ability. Although we have made mistakes, we  have come out on top. It's such an accomplishment to be the highest seeding in school history, and I can't wait to see where we go from here."

For the conference, as of 10/6, some Fillies players are leading the conference in statistical categories. Bergeron is ahead in the points category with 27 points, and up by two goals with twelve over the next player which in both categories which is Darton's Kincheloe. Hunt is right behind Bergeron with 19 points total, and leads the assists category with nine. Gomez is the third Fillie player on the leader board with 17 points, and tied for third with eight goals. Starr Robertson also adds her name to the list as she has recorded five assists, and is tied for second.

Article/Photo courtesy J. Roy Rowland, Sports Correspondent/Tifton Gazzette