O-South soccer routs injured Lions, 9-1

Lawrence High keeper Elsa Regan dives for a save before Olathe South player Jenna Lattimer during the first half against Olathe South on Tuesday, April 29, 2014 at Lawrence High School.

Down four starters entering Tuesday night’s home game against Olathe South, Lawrence High’s girls soccer team suffered a fifth injury in the first half.

The damages mounted even more rapidly for the Lions on the field, and they never challenged a talented group of Falcons in a 9-1 loss.

LHS senior goalkeeper Alex Ewy, as well as senior Danielle Campbell, junior Cortlynn Stark and freshman Carson Drake had to miss the game with various afflictions, and junior Keeli Billings limped off the field before halftime.

The lack of continuity showed almost immediately, as O-South (6-3) spent the first 10 minutes working the ball around Lawrence’s defensive half without the Lions crossing midfield.

By the 11th minute, shortly after the first hint of LHS offense, the Falcons led, 2-0. They scored four more goals by halftime and led, 6-1, after out-shooting the home team, 12-1.

From the start, Lawrence coach Justin Young could see the altered lineup struggling to adapt.

“Having a consistent group of starters out there, they work together, they understand each other, they understand where they need to be,” the coach said. “Having other girls step in who haven’t had as much playing time, it definitely puts you in a situation where you’re asking a lot of the girls to fill those holes. But to be honest, the girls who got the extra time, I was proud of them.”

The Lions (4-7), in the midst of a promising rebuilding season, just didn’t have the depth or experience to stay competitive with the likes of O-South but still only surrendered three goals in the final 40 minutes.

Senior LHS captain Addison Campbell scored in the 35th minute to make it 5-1 by beating a defender and the Falcons’ goalkeeper to a ball about 20 yards in front of the goal,then sending it into an unoccupied net. She said the Lions couldn’t help feeling at a bit of a disadvantage at various points of the loss — their fifth in sixth games.

“Every single one of our players that was out was a starter,” the speedy forward said, “so I think it was hard to adjust, and we had to really boost up our other players taking their positions. So it was tough.”

Senior Lions goalkeeper Elsa Regan had a difficult assignment in her first varsity start, but she finished with seven saves. Seniors Emma Oury and Whitney Simons, junior Sadie Keller, and sophomores Berit Kelley, Elaine Harris and Kennedi Wright-Conklin helped turn away O-South attacks and kept the game from turning into a mercy-rule loss.

Regardless of their circumstances, Addison Campbell said the Lions lacked the proper mental approach to compete against a skilled opponent.

“We come into a lot of games like that,” she said, “whether we have players down or not.”