Western Albemarle may have snagged a 1-0 victory over Monticello Tuesday night, but the Warriors are convinced they still have a lot of work to do, especially when it comes to offensive production.
“I think sometimes we try and do a little too much in the circle,” said Western coach Mia Fields. “We’re looking for that perfect shot instead of drawing the foul and getting the short corner. We stress every day in practice to shoot when we’re inside 25, but we’re still learning.”
An early L.P. Desch goal gave Western that winning margin. Despite facing multiple Monticello defenders most of the night, the 2008 co-state player of the year still lifted the Warriors, knocking home a short corner attempt from freshman Olivia Hajek.
“They kind of took L.P. out of the game so we had to pick it up in another areas,” Fields said. “Most teams will take her out of the game though so we have other players who just need to step up.”
In the second half, the Mustangs controlled a big portion of the play but couldn’t find a way to blast a ball past Western goalie Lindsey Gibson, who posted yet another shutout effort.
But neither squad took very many shots, with Gibson totaling just five saves while Monticello goalie tandem of Aileen Beringer and Liz Cosgrove had a pair of stops. The short corner chances were few and far between too, with Western earning five while Monticello got three opportunities.
“We’ve been really inconsistent in our scoring,” said Monticello coach Katie Owens. “Once we put a few in we get on a roll, but otherwise we have a really hard time finding the boards.”
Owens’ squad has certainly earned Fields’ respect whether they score or not.
“They played an excellent and they work so hard,” Fields said. “I’d say Monticello is one of the hardest working teams.”
Both teams hit the field again on Friday. Western (5-2, 2-0 Region II) travels to take on Louisa County while Monticello (6-2) tussles with Powhatan on the road.
