Loara Gets Caught in Rosary’s Speed Trap

Rosary’s team speed was too much for Loara to handle in the Magnolia tournament championship game Monday as the Royals won, 3-0, at Magnolia High.

Lisa Gates, Kati Schantz and Laura Kucich each scored goals for Rosary (7-2), and senior midfielder Katie Lennon had two assists to bring her tournament total to seven.

Rosary constantly beat Loara (5-1) to the ball and kept most of the action on Loara’s half of the field as it jumped out to a 2-0 lead midway through the first half.

“I knew they were much faster than we were and I knew it was a problem going in,” said Loara Coach Scott Weber. “Their speed took us out of our game.”

In fact, the Saxons were taken so much out of the game that they managed only one shot in the first half and five total.

Gates broke open the scoring when she found an opening on the left side off an assist from Lennon. A few minutes later, Schantz headed in a corner kick past Loara goalkeeper Jaclyn Huniu (11 saves) for a two-goal advantage.

“We’ve never won a tournament and I think we were up for it,” said Rosary Coach Andrea Barclay. “I thought the game would be closer, but they were just determined to close it out early.”

Loara moved the ball more effectively in the second half, but still couldn’t get a shot past goalkeeper Christina Fernandez, who recorded four saves.

Kucich capped the scoring late in the game when she took a long pass at midfield, beat her defender down the left side, juked Huniu and kicked it in past the fallen goalkeeper.