LYNN– The KIPP Academy girls soccer team was shooting for a win on Tuesday night when the Panthers hosted Pioneer Charter II at Manning Field. Unfortunately for KIPP, the Pirates had other plans.
A quick two-goal spurt towards the end of the first half was all the Pirates needed for a 2-1 win on a cold and misty night at Manning.
“I thought the game was well played,” KIPP coach Archie Bandera said. “I thought we would capitalize in the second half, since we had the advantage of the wind. Unfortunately, we just couldn’t score. We took 21 shots and only scored one goal. We’ll be working on that in practice but the girls gave it everything they had.”
Defense was the story of the game in the early stages of the first half. Both teams were efficient in moving the ball around but shots on goal were rare. KIPP’s Brenda Torres broke the ice with the first goal of the night in the 25th minute, giving the Panthers a 1-0 lead.
“We were in a very good spot,” Bandera said of his team’s early lead.
KIPP’s lead was a short lived one, however, as the Pirates offense came to play after finding itself in a 1-0 deficit. The Pirates tied the game in the 26th minute and took the lead 90 seconds later. The Panthers trailed the Pirates, 2-1, at the intermission.
“The difference was my defenders were tired so we had to make a few shifts,” Bandera said. “They took advantage and scored two quick goals, which is unfortunate but things happen.”
Both offenses quieted down in the second half. Neither team managed to find the back of the net, although KIPP generated more chances than Pioneer. The Pirates were threatened, but held on for the 2-1 win.
Moving forward, Bandera hopes the Panthers will make improvements on spreading the ball and shooting with accuracy. If the Panthers can shoot the ball on target, Bandera feels they’ll be in good standing moving forward.
“We need to spread the ball more and we need to work on shooting,” Bandera said. “We were shooting but the ball was going wide. The shots weren’t on target so we need to work on finishing those.”
Positives for KIPP on Tuesday night were ball movement and communication. Bandera also liked what he saw from KIPP in terms of creating scoring opportunities and maintaining possession.
“We made great passes and we were talking more,” Bandera said. “We took a lot of shots, that’s a big positive. The last game, we only took five shots and we scored two goals. This game, we took 21 shots. That means we’re shooting more. It’s just that they’re not quality shots, so we need to create more quality shots but Pioneer’s goalie was good.”
The Panthers are back in action this afternoon when they troop up to Pioneer Charter I in search of a win.
